Ever lay awake at night thinking of the most random of thoughts? Happens to me all the time! No matter how much I try to block out the random noise of thinking, I can not! For instance, last night I could not stop thinking about how much time teachers are spending on teaching students how to use technology to in order to demonstrate their learning in a creative way! Which got me to thinking...how is using technology in an elementary classroom helping teachers provide rigorous, critical thinking for students? Or is that not what we are suppose to use technology for?

I get that technology is engaging for students and helps capture their attention, but how can it help develop critical thinkers? After reviewing our schools technology submissions for our technology showcase, I am left with this nagging question about the use of technology in an elementary setting. The majority of the projects were apps that the students used to record their voice or their paper project. So, basically a video recording of student work. How is that creative, rigorous, or critical thinking? How does the use of technology "add value" to a student's education experience?

I would love to know what other elementary schools are using for technology and how they are using it to create a more rigorous learning environment. Please share your thoughts with me.