Teaching: During and After

Part of my computer project was to go teach to the kindergarteners. Instead, we went to the first or second graders because if the class went to the kindergarteners, it would've interfered with their nap time. All of the groups went to go teach the first or second graders, except two- my group and another group. There were mixed feelings going into teaching to the kids. I didn't know if they were going to be attentive or not. Surprisingly, they were very well behaved and attentive. But I was very excited to go teach them.

Before our groups taught the kids, we divided the class up into two groups and taught with what kids we had- there was only nine students in one class. My group got five kids in the beginning and the other got four. After that, we went to separate ends of the class and taught them about the app we had. The app that we used was Alphabet Tracing. (The app was intended to be taught to kindergarteners, since I thought that's who we were going to teach. But any grade is good.) As we were teaching them, they listened and asked some questions such as how to change the color to draw or go to the next letter to trace. We showed them how to change the colors and go to a blank page if they wanted to draw or write their names or something. They mostly just drew pictures on the blank page instead of tracing the letters- which was fine. After my group of kids got familiar with the app we showed them, we then switched groups and we got the other half of the first graders. So with the new group of first graders, we re-taught the app and they caught on really quickly. We showed them the same things we did when we taught the first group.

After teaching the first graders, it made me realize that I love working with kids. The first graders were so sweet and had their listening ears on as we taught them. I enjoy going to younger classes and teaching them because it helps me grow as a person and it gets me out of my comfort zone. It also made me realize that they are going to have fun learning as they are in school because they have these fun apps to learn from. I hope that the first graders enjoyed us coming and teaching to them, because I enjoyed going to teach them.

Before Teaching the Kindergarteners!

The idea of teaching the kindergartners (ages 3-5) with their iPods is wonderful! They are young and can learn really easily and it will stay in their little brains forever. I think fun educational apps for the kids will make them want to learn their ABC's and 123's since they have short attention span!

For class, we are divided into groups and your group has to find an educational app for the kindergartners to learn and then teach it to them. For my group, we chose an app called Alphabet Tracing. It is an app that helps the kindergartners learn their alphabets and numbers. We haven't taught the them yet and I'm hoping that when we do, it will be effective and go smoothly. Our groups has to also find information about the app and write a paper, make a video of ourselves interviewing each other, make a pamphlet, and do blogs.

I think teaching the kindergartners off their iPods will be fun for them and it will be something new. They will learn many things off the iPods and then they can transfer the things that they were taught onto paper if the teacher give them worksheets. The app has many cool features that make learning for them fun and exciting! It's high recommended app to get for kids, ages 3-5, to get a head start of leaning (or learn) their alphabets and numbers.