Here at Richland, our students interact with ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in various ways during the school week. As part of our Balanced Literacy Program, we use the Smartboard during Guided Reading, Shared Reading and Interactive Reading instruction. Students can also follow along with their Thinking Partner while reading a paper copy. This gives our students a choice when reading, and the results are amazing. Senior Kindergarten students can follow the pattern of a story, and use strategies like looking at the picture or sounding out words, using visuals. Students are often discussing what they notice and relating it to their own personal experiences. This knowledge is often cemented at home when students bring a reader home to share with their families. As our Smartboard is interactive, students can choose to show their thinking and learning and share it with others.

In other areas of the curriculum and within the International Baccalaureate Framework, ICT is integrated to provide students with a variety of ways to construct knowledge. We often incorporate learning about numbers through movement, as well as learning word families and phonics while moving. This enables our kinaesthetic learners to make meaning in their own way. I may offer an invitation or provocation using the Smartboard, and it offers students a different perspective.