Grade 4

Hello and welcome to the Linking Technology to the Comprehensive Curriculum web site. The Technology Coordinators and TLTC Facilitator and Assistant Facilitator of Region 8 invite you to browse the site and share its resources with educators in your district.

About the Project

Last April, the Louisiana Department of Education provided the Comprehensive Curriculum to every district in the state. It is aligned with state content standards, as defined by grade-level expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The Comprehensive Curriculum is filled with student-centered, project-based, technology-infused activities that are evaluated with authentic assessments.

The Region 8 Technology Coordinators and TLTC personnel were concerned about the ability of teachers to create the materials needed to conduct many of the activities that required the use of technology. With all the demands on teachers' time and the limited amount of technology resources in the region, how or even when would teachers be able to complete this challenging task? So what began as a desire to assist teachers in the implementation of the Comprehensive Curriculum ended in a nine month project requiring the skills and time of numerous educators in Region 8.

What Will You Find on the Site?

The charts, forms, templates, etc. not provided in the Comprehensive Curriculum but needed to conduct the technology-connected activities will be found on the site. Additionally, slideshows to compliment activities were created and numerous appropriate, supporting web resources including videos were identified. When the site debuted, one could find approximately

• 84 Inspiration templates for brainstorming, concept mapping, thinking maps
• 19 Kidspiration templates
• 12 Excel files and templates
• 10 Publisher templates for newsletters, postcards, brochures, etc.
• 25 PowerPoint slideshows and templates
• 306 MS Word templates for Venn diagrams, charts, tables, newsletters, flyers, trading cards, journals, writing prompts, etc.
• 6 Timeliner templates
• 150+ United Streaming videos that reinforce GLE concepts
• 250+ web sites specifically chosen to meet lesson GLEs

What is Next?

It was decided to begin the project with grade 8 since both LEAP and technology assessment are required by the state's accountability system. After recovering from this endeavor, the team began working to develop resources for grade 4. Plans are currently underway to continue development of resources under the guidance of DLT.

An Invitation to Share

If you have developed materials for Comprehensive Curriculum activities that you would like to share, we would be happy to include them on the site (with a credit to you, of course). Please email them to Margaret Henderson, henderson@ulm.edu .

Kudos

The Region 8 Technology Coordinators wish to extend sincere thanks to Margaret Henderson and Frank Bobo for their leadership, dedication and just plain old hard work on the project. Due to their stewardship, the results far exceeded our expectations.

And we would also like to thank the following educators who contributed to the project:

Kathryn Barker, Math - Grade 8, Richland

Kathy Blakeney, Technology Coordinator, Morehouse

Sonya Blondin, Math-Grade 8, Morehouse

Ashley Bruce, SchoolTech Facilitator, Richland

Rosemary Dillingham, Teacher Assistant, Monroe City

Elizabeth Dumas, Librarian, Ouachita

Kathy Evans, Instructional Technology, Ouachita

Beverly Fife, Technology Facilitator, Richland

William Fletcher, Technology Coordinator, Tensas

Jeanie Green, Technology Coordinator, Richland

Marge Arnold, Grant Facilitator, Franklin

Jane Hamby, Science-Grade 8, Morehouse

Donna Harrell, Science-Grade 8, Morehouse

Mary Beth McCoy, Science-Grade 8, Ouachita

Annie Miers, Librarian, Ouachita

Leslie Williamson-Grade 4, Ouachita

Terri McHenry - Grade 4, Ouachita

Rodney McPherson, Technology Facilitator, Union

Debbie Sandidge, Technology Coordinator, Lincoln

Sharon Trisler, Technology Coordinator, Catahoula