Score 1 for Technology

As it turns out, using technology in the classroom actually does work! I planned a language arts lesson for today, part of which included having the students decode a word in the context of a sentence frame. The word was "imprecise," and the sentence discussed an archer and his terrible aim. I could have written this up on the board, but the students begin to lose focus during even the short period of time it takes to get the words up. Instead, I used the iPad app "Show Me" to create a very short video of an arrow hitting, then missing a bullseye. The sentence was written at the bottom of the screen. My voice over read out the words to them, and I watched in amazement as my short, terrible video made their eyes light up. They were focused and staring at the television, and as soon as it was over they got right to work. I think if I had made them wait while I wrote the sentence up on the board I would have lost some of them. Instead, they got to see a silly little video that still got the point across! Easy. So easy.