Bio: My name is Jelisa Davis-Sophus, M.Ed. I am an educator with over seven years of classroom experience and a passion for helping learners achieve more. I have taught sixth grade my entire time in the classroom and am in my fifth year of teaching sixth grade Reading Language Arts. I am certified to teach EC-6 Core subject, ESL Supplemental, Special Education, and Gifted and Talented students. Because of my certifications, I've had the opportunity to differentiate content for all types of learners. 

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Integrating Technology in the Sixth Grade Language Arts Classroom through Choice 

Technology integration in education is a great way to engage students in the classroom while providing interactive opportunities. It allows for maximum differentiation of learning levels and allows educators to cater to each student's needs. The sixth grade state mandated curriculum standards in Texas or TEKS, can successfully utilize blended learning to demonstrate student’s mastery of content using choice.

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Technology is important, due to its multiple platforms and resources, but if it is not properly utilized it's just another wasted resource. Using technology in the classroom daily will prepare students for a digitally-driven world while fostering problem-solving skills, promoting creativity, and showcasing mastery of content. 

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The Curriculum 

The sixth grade curriculum is created in six mini units that repeat priority TEKS, and allows students to build on skills as the school year progresses. 

1. Unit One: Learning About Characters (Fiction, Poetry, Drama )

2. Unit Two: Educate. Motivate. Grow (Informational, Feature Articles)

3. Unit Three: Whole Group Books Clubs (Fiction, Poetry, Drama)

4. Unit Four: Text Clubs (All Genres)

5. Unit Five: Investigate and Evaluate (Informational, Argumentative)

6. Unit Six: Beyond the Pages (Fiction, Poetry, Drama)

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Within each unit, there is a Performance Assessment that allows students to have a discussion over the topic being discussed and there is a Summative Assessment that serves as a compilation of learned TEKS to display mastery of the content. The Summative Assessments can vary from formal essays to presentations. Students have the choice to choose from an array of digital resources to display their mastery of content. The digital resources include:

• Canva is a graphic design platform that allows features for creativity, and presentations. These multimedia presentation resources can be used to create a nonfiction Feature Article for the end of the unit assessment through choice (Novak & Pettit, 2024). 

• Google Workspace is a cloud-based collection of applications that holds information and projects created by students and teachers. It allows seamless collaboration with whoever the data is shared with. This can be used during unit three when students need to collaborate and create a unified end of the unit assessment over the both they are simultaneously reading.

• Padlet is a free online platform that allows communication through posts, comments and group collaboration. This platform would be great for the text clubs unit. This would allow for classmates to post videos, pictures, articles, books and other topic relevant information for the unit.

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Tech-ing TEKS: Blended Learning Initiative

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Tech ing TEKS: Blended Learning Initiative

Tech-ing TEKS: Blended Learning Initiative  allows technology to be blended into the daily sixth grade Reading Language Arts classroom and amplifies the learning using choice. As students read on digital platforms such as Sora, they can have discussions and submit assignments in Schoology for reflection and comprehension check.

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The Learning 

My goal is to teach students how to take ownership of their learning by using technology and choice. Answering multiple choice and comprehension questions can serve as ways to check understanding but does not allow for creativity. Sixth grade is the start of secondary school for students and serves as a milestone for independence. Priority TEKS such as using 

If teachers are able to proficiently learn how to utilize the technology, they can better model the usage for students to encourage them to be self-motivated learners. Digital resources and applications can also help facilitate collaborative projects, by encouraging students to work together.

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Student Engagement 

Integrating technology in the Language Arts classroom boosts student engagement by creating interactive and collaborative opportunities to meet the needs of all students and their learning levels. Blended learning uses technology to enhance and customize the learning experience, making it more interactive and personalized (Johnson, 2024). This approach allows educators to differentiate instruction and use of digital resources daily to help foster creativity and problem-solving skills. By emphasizing choice and technology integration, teachers can empower students to take ownership of their learning and demonstrate mastery through innovative applications.

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The Audience

I hope my audience, which includes sixth-grade teachers, sixth-grade students, and administration, understands my message of creating a community of self-motivated learners who demonstrate content mastery through creative technology-based applications. Technology integration is a topic that always has to be practiced and can be improved. Finding the time to teach and model how to utilize technology in the classroom can be difficult when the focus is on teaching the state-mandated standard. Something that we as educators must keep in mind is how we are developing the student overall to be a successful citizen in society.

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This information can help others by exemplifying how to use technology throughout their content with purpose. The usage of technology can be meaningful, engaging, and fun if properly used. It will provide real-life examples of applications students have engaged with and used to demonstrate their mastery of learning.

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References

Clarkecoschools. (n.d.). Innovative Digital Learning Environments. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2QUP2IpPvE 

George Lucas Educational Foundation. (n.d.). Home. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/ 

Harapnuik, D. (2018, July 14). COVA. Harapnuik.org. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991

Harapnuik, D. (2020, April 30). Feedforward Vs. Feedback. Harapnuik.org. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8273

Johnson, B. (2024b, May 20). Blended learning: Is it the future of Education?. eLearning Industry.  

Novak, K., & Pettit, M. E. (2024, September). Using Edtech Tools to differentiate learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-udl-aligned-edtech-tools