Your Child and Technology: What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know Part 2

Your Child and Technology: What your Fourth Grader Needs to Know

Fourth graders use the Internet, educational software, and other tech tools to build on core learning.
By GreatSchools Staff

Technology your fourth grader may find in the classroom

•One or more computers or tablets with access to the Internet (including Internet safeguards) and a printer
•Still and video digital cameras, photo editing software, animation tools
•Interactive whiteboard and a large monitor or projector the teacher can use to engage students in multimedia lessons
•Educational software, including multimedia encyclopedia and dictionaries, typing programs, interactive books, and educational games

Of course, the amount and quality of technology fourth graders have access to varies widely from school to school. Some schools have the resources to provide state-of-the-art computers and whiteboards in every classroom; others have a single computer lab that all students share. When evaluating your fourth grader's technology experience, the number and brand of computers in the classroom is less important to consider than how well technology is integrated into learning at your child's school. The best classrooms incorporate technology into regular lessons to develop students' higher-order thinking skills, promote creativity, and facilitate academic learning.

Language arts with a tech twist
Once exclusively the realm of paper and ink, language arts gets an enormous boost from technology. Children in the fourth grade will learn how to write short opinion essays and informational reports, so doing research on the Internet, understanding how to evaluate sources, and learning about plagiarism are essential skills. Audio books and audio-enhanced text books allow fourth graders to immerse themselves in a culture of storytelling, fit more books into their busy lives, allow books to compete with other media for entertainment value, and get hooked on reading as a lifelong pleasure. Using a tablet or a computer, students can easily look up unfamiliar words to master new vocabulary and practice pronunciation. And digital book creation, video editing, and animation tools enable students to become authors of their own stories. A word processor — with grammar correction — can improve students' grammar and spelling as they write, by noting mistakes as they happen and offering corrections.

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Your Child and Technology: What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know Part 1

Your Child and Technology: What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know

Fourth graders use the Internet, educational software, and other tech tools to build on core learning.

By GreatSchools Staff

How technology enhances learning

Technology in the fourth grade classroom can introduce a rich, entertaining range of learning opportunities that engage young minds and get them excited about all aspects of the curriculum. Your child will use technological tools to enhance her understanding of language arts, science, social studies, math, and art. According to the Common Core Standards Initiative that the majority of states adopted in 2010-2011, fourth graders should master basic tech skills that are needed to complement learning in core subjects like reading, writing, science, and math. (Many teachers also follow the National Educational Technology Standards for Students.)

In fourth grade, your child will be building on essential reading skills, learning to the mechanics of essay writing, and exploring new concepts in math and science. While using technology is no substitute for mastering the multiplication tables or conducting research for a science project, it's an important tool to supplement classroom instruction. Even more important, technological literacy is essential for your child's future.

Tech skills your child should have by the end of fourth grade

Should haves:

•Familiarity with keyboarding and typing: according to the Common Core Standards for writing, a fourth grader should have the ability to "type a minimum of one page in a single sitting."

•Ability to use a mouse, including cutting, pasting, and spell-checking work

•Basic Internet research skills, including the ability to assess the credibility of websites, knowledge of basic copyright laws, and understanding the meaning and consequences of plagiarism.

•Understanding of cybersecurity do's and don'ts

Nice to haves:

•Photo editing skills

•Familiarity with Powerpoint or other presentation software

•Familiarity with Excel or other programs to organize data and create graphs

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FDA Approves First Influenza Vaccine

FDA Approves First Influenza Vaccine That Protects Against 4 Strains

Accroding to an article by CBS News Staff, the first flu vaccine of its kind that protects against four influenza strains has been approved by the FDA, the agency announced this week.

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The FluMist Quadrivalent vaccine from AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit protects against two strains of influenza A and two strains of influenza B, and is approved for people ages 2 to 49. Similar to the previously approved FluMist, the new vaccine is a nasal spray that delivers weakened strains of the virus.

Previously, all flu vaccines contained two strains of influenza A and one strain of influenza B, chosen annually by medical experts based on their potential to spread the virus. Having an extra strain of influenza B increases the likelihood that the vaccine will protect against illness, the FDA said in a statement.

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"Illness caused by Influenza B virus affects children, particularly young and school-aged, more than any other population," said Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's biologics center.

The severity of illness and death due to influenza varies widely from season to season, which is why vaccination is the best method of protection, according to the FDA. Between 1976 and 2007, flu-related deaths have ranged from an estimated low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people, the agency said.

Are there side effects? The FDA says side effects are the same as the older FluMist and include runny or stuffy nose, headaches, and sore throats.

Besides the flu vaccine, there are everyday actions a person can take to reduce their risk, according to the CDC. Those actions include washing your hands with soap and water, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth (this is how germs spread), and avoid close contact with sick people. If you're sick with a flu-like virus, stay home for 24 hours after your fever is gone.

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