These are various ways on how and why to integrate technology in the classroom. There are numerous ways for teachers to go above and beyond the "call of duty" and those are the teachers who are remembered and recognized. Integrating technology into our classrooms is showing how teachers can do their part in bettering our public education for the future leaders of America. What they learn in school from kindergarten on is information that will shape the people they will become. We need to do our best to make them active and productive members of society and through the use of technology in the classroom, we can do that better than we have ever been able to.
I believe through research and knowledge, we can find the best websites and resources to use to enhance our classrooms. With technology, our possibilities are endless and everyday there are advances being made.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
This is SO cool!
I think this wildly popular video from the Ron Clark Academy kids is something that is so cool! I would definitely show this to my students to show their abilities and enhance their learning, especially in such a crucial time for our government. I thought this video might be something interesting and pleasant for my students to watch and through the use of YouTube, I am able to share it with students.
Technology: The New Age Educator?
Our kids are living in a world of technology and we need to do our part as educators to turn them into active listeners and learners. This is achieved in the classroom with the use of audio clips, videos, interactive activities, and similar methods. With that said, educators also need to do their part by becoming experienced and well-versed with these technological advances so they can help their students to the best of their ability when using these programs. Just as students need to be taught, so do teachers. To be a better teacher, you need to be a better student and understand where they are coming from. Teachers need to do research and test out the programs they are going to be using and create their own to show as an example. Students learn best when they are modeled for and have examples provided for them.
I also believe that technology should not only be used in the classroom but also outside of the classroom. I think it is a wonderful resource for students and parents to be able to access what the teacher is doing. It is understood that not all families have internet access, but for those that do, it is nice for these kinds of programs to be available to them to keep them actively engaged. As a parent, it is nice to be "in the loop" of their child's education and feel a certain level of comfort with the teacher. Parents need to be engaged and informed, just as much as their child is, so the child can have the same support at home as they do from their teacher in the classroom. I believe that teachers who have a website and update it frequently with assignments, reminders and opportunities for constant communication is a positive element in a classroom for all parties involved.
With that said, I believe that the technologies introduced in the classroom should be researched and provided for by the teacher. In my future classroom, I would like to provide audio and video clips that could be used to enhance my students' learning. I would also like to find interactive activities and games to keep them stimulated and engaged in learning and also provide creative presentation outlets aside from a PowerPoint presentation or a poster board presentation. Per my research of Web 2.0 tools, I found numerous websites that can help my future students present the information learned in a creative and memorable fashion. It is something that will help them with their learning while enjoying learning.
In a previous lesson, we discussed about how kids should be able to use cell phones and iPods, but I do disagree with those being available in the classroom because students would NOT use those for educational purposes. I was a student in high school when cell phones were becoming more main stream and text messaging was taking off. I was not keeping my cell phone off and we were text messaging in class all throughout the school day. Now kids have a TON more features on their cell phones and iPods and I do feel as though it would continue to create a distraction. The kind of technology that I do believe should be found in the classroom is through teacher-facilitated instruction. I want to give my students the opportunity to use the technology, but I want to make sure they are using it appropriately and for their studies.
Some useful websites for my students to use:
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