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ashlee larsen teaching in class

  • Ashlee Larsen
  • Monroe Elementary School 
  • January 9, 2018

Sevier School District would like to thank the citizens of Sevier County for their support of the 2013 voted leeway. That leeway has made many of these wonderful technology enhancements possible.

Ashlee Larsen is a 4th grade teacher at Monroe Elementary school who is dedicated to helping her students become college, career, and life ready. Integrating technology into her lessons gives students opportunities to demonstrate their learning while fostering engagement, creativity, discovery and personal growth.

One of Mrs. Larsen’s favorite quotes of all time says, “If we teach TODAY’S students as we taught YESTERDAY’S, we rob them of TOMORROW.” Mrs. Larsen said, “Technology isn’t just the future, it is now. Students of today have digital mindset when looking at the world, the classroom, and a project at hand.” Mrs. Larsen recently integrated the app Chatterpix into her biography unit. Students chose a person to research for a biography. Then, the class created an interactive wax museum using the iPads and the Chaterpix app. Students dressed up as the person they researched, took a picture of themselves, and “made their person talk” using their own voices. “The kids loved it!”

Principal, Ted Chappell said “Mrs. Larsen has spent many hours searching for math, reading, and science apps that are challenging and fun for her students. It’s fun to see her students’ excitement for learning as they explore and interact with these apps on their iPads. The use of this technology in her classroom has increased student engagement and excitement towards learning.”

Mrs. Larsen said that having iPads in the classroom has really enhanced the students’ learning experience. “Integrating iPads into my teaching has made the learning of students more visible to me as formative assessment happens daily. The focus in the classroom is not what comes out of the iPads, but what students put into them. Students have the ability to demonstrate their leaning in a project based format while having fun.”

Technology is changing the way we teach. “Technology has literally revolutionized the way I teach. First of all, research, manipulatives, and apps are instantly at my students fingertips.” Mrs. Larsen referenced the quote “ There is an app for that,” when talking about her passion for finding new apps to use in her classroom. “When I integrate technology into the lesson, I model how to use the app we are using, give the students a rubric, and then step back and let the students show me what they can do. I am the guide-on-the-side and am amazed at the expertise even 10 year-olds have in the digital realm. Furthermore, students must understand the concept of digital citizenship, so I remind them daily about the digital footprint they leave anytime they are online.”