Tech Savy Teacher

Genetics and Technology in the Fifth-Grade Classroom

This week while I was observing the fifth-grade classrooms, I noticed Mrs. Baker using technology in the classroom. To learn more about it, we are sitting down in an interview together.

Principal Owen: What were you teaching in your classroom this week?

Mrs. Baker: We were talking about hereditary traits. We were able to use Kidsperation to classify different qualities as either environmental or hereditary. The technology we used was able to help me to be able to clearly assses how well I had taught the differences. We we were also able to use the technology to correct mistakes and make adjustments to what they missed and go over the information as a class. The technology was also very helpful for the students, they were forced to make a clear descision about all of the objects in the middle, it helped them stay on task and learn the matierial better.

(Screen capture of Kidsperation before students separated into categories)


(Screen capture from Kidsperation while students were in the middle of the activity)

Principal Owen: The kids looked like they were really engrossed in the activity!

(A students intently working on the activity)

Mrs. Baker: They were! The technology engaged all the students in a subject that some of them would otherwise not have liked. And once the kids saw the picture of the tongue roll, they all wondered who in the class could or could not roll their tongue. We used Excel to collect data from a class poll. It was really great to be able to use Excel in order to inhance their math skills in collecting data and figuring out ways to display it.

(A few students showing their ability to roll their tongue)

(Screen capture from Excel after taking data from the class)

Principal Owen: That’s great! But which science standard does this fulfill?

Mrs. Baker: Well, it is actually based on Fifth-grade science core curriculum, standard 5! So we combined fun with learning with the curriculum!