Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Week 3 - Technology in the Classroom
Watch the Technology youtubes on the right. We viewed some of these videos in class but some of them we did not. Please make sure that you have viewed each video either in class or through the blog. Reflect upon what you saw. What are your thoughts about technology in the classroom? How could the Amazon Kindle change typical textbooks in the future? Please share an example of how a teacher effectively or ineffectively utilized technology in the classroom.
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Technology is an important learning aid in the classroom. A teacher should use every resource available to teach and engage students. Different learning styles (kinesthetic, visual, and auditory)can make it a challenge to teach a classroom of students. Technology like the Smartboard allows students to "see," "hear," and "touch" the lessons, and this helps a teacher reach more of her students.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, I was in an architecture class that had a Smartboard. This class was one of the only classes to have one, but my teacher rarely utilzed it. Also, it was used by students only twice: to show a powerpoint on architectual styles and to explain our house blueprints. Looking at the youtube videos of the Smartboard has lead me to believe that the teacher did not know how to incorporate the board effectively.
The Amazon Kindle has so much potential! First of all, to think that one day I could have all of my textbooks in one book is amazing! Students would absolutely love this because instead of having to carry around heavy books, they would just need one! Also, this could revolutionze the textbook by making it more interactive for the student. For example, pictures could be linked to explanatory videos/demonstrations, charts and diagrams could use movement to help explain processes, and end-of-chapter questions could be filled in and corrected so the student has immediate feedback on his or her understanding of the reading. The possibilities seem endless.
Technology in the classroom seems like a bit of a funny question. It's obvious how much "technology" will be necessary in the lives of the students we will teach, to the point where if we teach long enough, students will never know days without it.
ReplyDeleteI have had many instances of teachers utilizing technology. In Junior High, almost all my reading tests were done on computers, and that was a bit of a problem for students because we usually only had one or two computers in the classroom. At my high school every student was issued tablet computers, with the ability to write on the screen. While there was a lot of potential good that came from that ability, simply having the tablets raised many questions and made a lot of people angry. I have no idea why, but the tablets we were required to buy were over $2000, and were no better than most average price laptops at the time. Students breaking their tablets or suffering from network problems was a commonplace occurence, especially my freshman year since we were the first class to have the tablets. Now that it's over four years old, I can't realistically expect to get much more use out of it. Even worse, there were almost no classes where we were required to use the writing feature, and most students (and parents) realized quickly they paid for something that wasn't necessary. The net was always a distraction, even for good students since before school very few people would be using their computers for schoolwork. Students had their attention focused to their computers, and that became very noticble whenever I had to present something in any class, no matter how well or interesting you presented your information, it would still seem that you weren't getting through to anyone. I can't imagine what it must have been like to have that feeling every day.
Still though, there was a lot of good from having the tablets. I was able to check assignments online, as well as get copies of handouts and power point lectures provided the teacher decided to put that information online. My math books were on my computer which reduced weight although it did requie getting used to adobe reader. It seemed to me having the tablets were just as important for learning as it was for familiarization and standardization for students towards computers.
The School also had smartboards in nearly all the classrooms, which were awesome. It could have been because the teachers had more experience with them, but I personally loved the smart boards since teachers could display anything on their computer on them. Most teachers, even the technologically inept ones used the smartboards effectively just by plugging their computers in and having the students do as they did. Math teachers had students "come to the board" to do a problem in an entirely different way.
I think the Kindle would probably be the best tech item for students to own. It's not incredibly expensive, and did almost everything I was required to do with my computer, except type. Kindles even seemed easier on the eyes for reading compared to most computer screens, although I have not had the opportunity to read from one for a few hours to test that.
Technology in the classroom can be good and bad. It can help students understand things more. If you are reading and u don't understand a word u can always look it up on the web. The board that we saw on you tube in class that helps with geography looks fun you can touch it and it will help u remember things easier and if you try to put the wrong answer in a box it won't let you so you can't really get an answer wrong. The Amazon Kindle would be great for students that like to read alot and could just download book after book and read at their own pace plus it would be good for students that don't understand a word and could just look it up. However, there could always be a flaw where one day it doesn't work right and you can't download books or you just can't turn it on. What would you do then? What if that happens the day of a test and you need that book? Technology can always be good but I wouldn't 100% rely on it. You always have to have a back up plan. If one day in class the servers are down on the computers and you had all your lessons plans on there if your an effective teacher you can make up lesson plans or just find something to do. I think you need to always be effective teaching wise even if technology doesn't fail you.
ReplyDeleteI get what Matthew Gonzalez is saying how technology can be bad by being a distraction in school. I think the thing they have where teachers can view what you are doing on your computer at all times is good so if there is a presentation and someone isn't paying attention then the teacher can just look and tell them to stop or turn their computer off.
ReplyDeleteHannah has a good point about technology's unreliability. Teachers and students are responsible for being prepared for class. This means that technology cannot be held accountable for missing homework assignments or lack of a lesson plan. Students will have to complete assignments early to be certain they won't have problems turning homework in on time. Teachers will have to be knowledgeable of their subject content, creative, and fast thinkers to recreate lesson plans when technology fails. Also, in spite of all of technology's advances, it seems that hard copies (books, papers, etc.) are here to stay.
ReplyDeleteTechnology will be an important factor in the classroom. It will keep kids interactive and knowledgable. But there is also a problem with having technology in the classroom. It can easily distract students from staying on target. Its to tempting for kids because they can easily find a way around any block to play games. Its both good and bad to have technology in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI believe that technology in the classroom has a big effect on students and the classroom. I can only speak for myself but sometimes reading textbooks and writing notes all the time takes away the fun of education. I remember when i was younger and we played video counting games, and leap frog in the classroom that was sooo much fun and i learned a lot in th process, but now all we see is textbooks and reading. It's always good to refer to textbooks but the usage of it can be over -rated. I think things such as smartboards bring life to the classroom. It makes students want to get involved because not only are they learning in the subject but they are learning the new technology that is being created today.
ReplyDeletei agree with Matt when he says technology can be a distraction in the classroom because students start to wander off but this also has a big influence on how well the teacher can control or monitor the class. Like the screen where the teachers can see what every student is doin on their computers just from the teachers computer is a good way to control what students are doing on the computers. so good point Matt and blythe clubb
ReplyDeleteAlexis,
ReplyDeleteI agree that writing notes often times takes the fun out of education. I have noticed that when students start feeling like they have to write down everything on my powerpoint they stop discussing and engaging in the lesson.
Technology is going to play a major role in education no matter how much we try to fight it off. As we go forward we will see that technology will be a requirement in the class room. If you look at today's students you see that they are already dependent on it. Let me use my six year old as an example. He is in first grade and they have computers in his classroom. They use them to learn different aspects of there lessons. He has even done tests on them. At home he uses the computer to play games and he also uses it to do homework ( like practicing spelling words and math) So even at the age of six we are teaching our children that computer and technology is important.
ReplyDeleteOf course at the same time at the same time when i was in school all we had was computers and they weren't even in the classrooms. So for me now to learn all the new technology that is aviable for the classroom is amazing. I am sure no matter what it will always be concidered a distraction, but yet a helpful tool to give the students the oppertunity to learn and expand thier minds.
Mrs. Bishop-
ReplyDeleteI agree that taking notes can take the fun away about learning. I can say that when I am taking notes in class from power points I find my self not listening to the teacher. But those teachers that put the slides on the internet for us help; at the same time it goes back to us printing them and to us using them to add notes too which will in turn cause us to block what the lecture is about. So it is a harsh circle no matter how you look at it.
Alexis and Matt-
I agree it can become an issue with the students wanting to play games and having a wondering minds but at the same time Alexis said it best. It depends on how well the teacher controls and monitors the students. Bottom line an technology that we use in the classroom will always depend on us as teachers and how well we use it and control how it is used.
Technology in the classrooom is a great way to mix up learning information for students. The regular, old-fashioned textbooks and taking notes is boring to most students and they tend to dislike goingto school every day. Textbooks do not keep the studnets atteneion very long. I know for me reading a textbook is something i do not do very often and if i do read it is before a test to refresh my memory. Amozon Kindle is a great way to mix up reading a textbook.
ReplyDeleteSome other ways to mix up learning is to have the students interact with the teacher. Many teachers just go on and on and talk all class. a way to get students to interact would be through the remote response system. it is a great way to have students pay attention and stay awake during class.
some more great ways are the smartboard and the promethean board. they have the stundets beingable to read the class notes and see things they cannot se with a textbook.
blythe clubb i agree with your point that technology can distract the students from learning. Students also can get distracted with the internet bing available and not listen to the teacher.
ReplyDeleteAnthony -
ReplyDeleteWell said "Bottom line an technology that we use in the classroom will always depend on us as teachers and how well we use it and control how it is used."
I couldn't agree with you more.
If anyone wants to take a few minutes and try to figure out how to include pictures on the comments I would greatly appreciate it. I have tried a few different things and still can't figure it out. (This is one of the down sides of technology-ARGH!)
Well, I think technology is great and it does engage the students because this is a technology-based generation. However, it really worries me. Perhaps I am just oldschool about teaching and reading (I'm an English major and lover of books). We use two different parts of our brains: one for reading off a screen and one for reading off paper. I think it's great that people are using things like Amazon Kindle to lighten the load that students carry and it is certainly convinient and engaging for them. But when all of these books become electronic we are going to lose an entire section of brain activity that we used to read books. I feel like we should be using a balance of technology based programs along with oldschool techniques such as reading novels and textbooks in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think English majors are just so passionate about reading that the idea of ebooks horrifies them. My English teachers rarely use technolgy within the classroom. They engage us with activities or really intense class discussions. It all goes back to what kind of learner you are. One English teacher of mine spent the entire class period trying to figure out how to use a smartboard and playing with the magic eraser on it. She couldn't figure it out and she wasted and entire hour of teaching trying to figure out technology.
Blythe I know what you mean by distractions. I feel like one of the main concerns with teachers is keeping the students' attention on the content. I think that technology is going to be important to teaching no matter how bad we do or don't want it to be. That is the world we live in. At this point I think it should just be regulated. Just like this school has blocks on certain websites. I think it should be like that in the classroom also so that if they have access to computers or electronics they will hopefully still remain involved in the classroom discussion.
ReplyDeleteHowever, students always find a way around it. People access internet on their phones and ipods now. There is always ways around the rules but I think that regulating school access would at least cut down on web surfing, especially for technology-challenged people like me!
Having technology in the classroom is a positive and a negative. The positives about having it is that it is up to date and will keep the students more engaged in learning. it will make the students want to interact more and it can make learning easy and fun all at the same time. the negative effects about technology is that it can be a huge distraction. Students are always one step ahead of teachers. when teachers put blocks on websites, students will find a way around the block. Also, some people are technology challenged and are just not very good with it. this can be very frustrating to students and it may affect their learning.
ReplyDeleteAlexis-
ReplyDeletei definitally agree with you. Using textbooks and taking notes is for sure boring for the students and this may affect their learning. If the student gets bored then their mind will start to wander and they will lose interest in what the teacher is talking about. but sometimes the textbook is the best thing to use. like for a math lesson, it gets right to the point and it has all the key points to the lesson.
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteReading all your comments sure makes me feel old. I'm 26 now and when I was in HS the most advanced tech we has was a 1st generation iMac! I frankly amazes me just how much technology is in the classroom these days. However, I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I love the idea of downloading all my textbooks on a kindle or using a smartboard in the classroom. However, I think it's important that we, as teachers, keep ourselves current in today's technology. That means not only knowing your subject (history for me) and how to teach it effectively, but also the lastest technology as well.
I'd like to go back to what Hannah and Liz were saying earlier. I just tried posing my comment a few minutes ago and the site wouldn't accept it. I'm not sure what's was going on, and it did work on my second try, but imagine that happening in the classroom. You have a whole lesson plan ready to go and the power goes our or your computer has a tech problem.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to what Becky was saying...
ReplyDeleteYes textbooks are important and students can certainly find their way around blocks, but having info on websites does help I can certainly attest. My math teacher put all of her notes on pccommon in powerpoint form that I can print out. Doing so ahead of class makes following along a lot easier.
I think that technology can be very beneficial if used correctly. After all we are living in a century where the children seem to know more about technology than adults.
ReplyDeleteThings such as the smartboard are extremely beneficial, they not only make things easy on the teacher by having all resources at the click of a button but they also keep the children interested in what the teacher is lecturing them on because there is always something to help keep their attention. However some technologies like having laptops in the classroom are to distracting. Teachers can block out certain websites but the children soon find out a different way of getting onto those blocked webpages such as facebook, and or myspace.
I also think that the amazon kindle is a great technology to be used in the classroom. They are a great way of using resources to their fullest potential when doing school projects. Another benefit from the amazonkindle is that teachers wouldn't have to worry about their students not being able to get the books that they need on time. Even though they are expensive when you first buy them they will definitely save students money in the long run.
I had a teacher that used the smartboard properly and kept me interested through math even though it was my least favorite and hardest course I was kept interested and therefore learned alot. Another teacher used computers for everything and gave us all assignments due for the entire semester on the first day of classes in high school. Well of course every student in that class would play games go on facebook and text and email their friends rather than working on the assignments that were due.
I think that teachers need to have a balance technology in the classroom and traditional ways of teaching, to be completely successful.
I agree with anthony completely that technology is going to be around no matter what and we should try to adapt and not change what the students are wanting to see in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteEven though some people see technology as a huge distraction. It can be a huge advantage for teachers to keep their students interested in what they are trying to teach.
I think technology in the classroom is a wonderful idea if it is used effectively. One of the technology devices that I liked the most for use of high school and college students is the remote response system. It is a great way to make sure students are engaged and are understanding what they are learning. I had to use a clicker in one of my classes and really enjoyed it. It was fun to see how many people pick a,b,c, and d. You also know if you were right, and you can go through the material that everyone needed to learn quicker. I think it would help children understand what they are learning with the smartboard and google earth. With the use of the screen it allows it to be more of a hands-on learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI think the Amazon Kindle is great for books, but not textbooks. It still has a battery and has to be charged and what about the pictures or if you want to highlight something in the book. I personally need that hands on experience in order to grasp the material. Either way you still have to pay for the text, so why not purchase the actual book. Even if school would allow the use of the Amazon Kindle I would rather get a real textbook.
I am extremely happy to see technology in the classroom! Brian, I completely agree with you. I was reading other comments and it seemed that advanced technology was the “norm” for most other students to have technology in the classroom. Your comment made me smile, I was waiting for a response like that one. I am 25 and right there with you. Both of my parents were teachers and in our house we always tried to have up to date technology for learning. It was nowhere near what most students now have in their schools. Laptops for every student and SmartBoards! Funny :)
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can see the importance of technology and why we as teachers will always have to strive to stay current. In my math class this year the professor is having us graph with excel. If I had recently graduated from High School I may be more familiar with the use of excel. In one of the SmartBoard videos it showed kindergarteners working on the SmartBoard to then transfer their data into an excel spreadsheet. My cousin is in her third year of teaching fifth grade in the Parkway School District, the same school district I attended over six years ago. she uses the smart board and blogging daily in the classroom. I know I am not “old” but hearing about all the new technology in the classroom makes me feel behind. I used to feel I had a good grasp on technology, until I watched the Smart Board demo video. I have a lot to learn. Lets begin by this simple Excel graphing that has me stumped!
P.S. – If any one is good at it and has the time to show me, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm a quick learner and could use the help. :) Thanks!
I think technology in the classroom is a good thing only if used in moderation. One of the tools i liked the best is the smart board because it provides an interactive tool that both students and teachers can use. I also think that google earth would be a good tool because it can give kids an actual vision of where places are at. However i dont like amazon kindle very much because you dont have a physical text in front of you. If your on the computer, its to easy to get distracted and wander off to something else. I would much rather have something i could pick up and read, highlight, and underline to keep my focus.
ReplyDeletei agree with blythe, with all the free computer acess at schools it fairly easy for kids to get aroung blocks for games and stuff but its also a necessity because it provides a vast amount of learning tools.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that trevor makes a great point about google earth. many kids are visual learners and need to see. there is nothing better better for a geography or history class than to be able to show students a controlled map of the world.
ReplyDeleteMost technology is great, but not all of it is completely usefull. Many schools issue lap tops to every student enrolled. these perosnal computers help but seem to be a bigger distraction than an aide. things like the smart board and out of class social networking seem like a very productive way to use technology. Majority of our technology is great, we should keep it goin and see what else we can fing to help teach in the classroom!
I feel that technology in the classroom is fairly important nowadays. For example, if someone is reading a book, they will loose interest quickly. I think that if a teacher were to have students read a chapter of a book and make a powerpoint presentation, or do something creative with the computer it would be effective.
ReplyDeleteI think the Amazon Kindle will change typical textbooks because students already don't enjoy having to carry textbooks around all day. Having the Amazon Kindle will be more productive.
In high school, I had a teacher that would have us read a chapter out of Huckleberry Finn and make drawings, or make a presentation on the computer and present it to the class.
Becky,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about the pro"s and con's of technology in the classroom. I think we as future teachers need to be aware of these and how they will effect the students.
I watched the videos. The ideas and the technology behind the ideas are fantastic! There are many good and bad things about the use of technology.I'm sure the Cost of the Amazon Kindle books are astronomically high. What happens if something goes down?
ReplyDeleteI have a class that is all technilogical. Most of the time,something is not work which prevents the students from finishing what they need to. Yes, they are working on it,but as a teacher I would be very upset if something like that happened to me.
I personally feel that some use of these advanced are great,but we should not fully rely on them.
For myself I find taking notes actually keeps my mind focused on what is going on. But like Mrs.Bishop said, I quit discussing things in class. It's not because I'm not paying attention tho. It's because I am listening. That is just from a personal note. I totally understand that it doesn't work the same way with other people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the notetaking as a great means to keep focused because I too am a mind-wonderer. Also, I find that if I listen and do a few hands-on things, such as finding specific things in a text, online, or in a group that also helps me not only focus but remember what it is that I'm trying to learn.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a very computer-savvy person, but I feel that as a teacher it's part of my duty to adapt to change as I expect my students to. It's difficult, but if a 6 year old can, I can lol.
I agree as well with the disadvantages as well as the advantages in technology. We're becoming more and more and more reluctant upon technology to the point that sometimes we don't know how to do certain things for ourselves. I agree with knowing how to use the technology, but also using more traditional ways as well, just in case the computer or something dies lessons can still go on. Plus students will know how to do both, which is always good.
ReplyDeleteI think technology has good and bad effects on teaching. The good effects are that students may pay better attention and not get so bored easily and the bad are that students may be doing other things while using a computer or something else.
ReplyDeleteI think technology in the classroom can be a positive thing, if used properly. In my high school, every classroom had smartboards. Some of my teachers didn't even know how to turn it on, but some really used it to help us learn. One thing I liked about smartboards was that teachers could save their notes that they wrote on the board and print them off later for a student if the student was absent. I really appreciated that in my calculus class. A downside of the smartboards was that not all of the teachers knew how to use them. Whenever they tried, they spent all their time wrestling with the smartboard instead of teaching.
ReplyDeleteI have never personally seen a kindle. They seem pretty cool, and I like that you can download lots of books onto one. But I personally like actual books. There is just something about a handwritten note in the margin that a computer can't duplicate.
My school also had a smartboard in every classroom and I loved it. It made doing math problems and things easier because if you didnt understand a step or something you just hit a button and went to another page or erased and backed up to what you did before. All of my teachers knew how to use the smartboards for the most part and they loved them too.
ReplyDeleteI agree that using a balance between technology and the "old school" ways is good. Kids need to know how to use the pencil-and-paper methods as well as smart boards and kindle.
ReplyDeleteafter reviewing the videos of technology in the classroom i have come to the conclusion that it would only distract the students and not help them learn and stay on task. I, personally, would get so distracted during class if i had the oppurtunity of going on the internet. I just dont see what the big deal is with sticking to the old ways and reading out of the textbooks. It forces the kids to read and look up what page or what example and actually read it and benefit from it.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is a very huge part of this mordern world. SOme poeple think that the only way to teach is by doing it the old school way with just paper and a pen. I believe that if technology is used in the right way it will make the students more excited about what they are learning plus teach them something about technology. You cant go anywhere these days without having tecnology involved. By using smart boards and internet makes students learn about technology and the topic they are studying without even knowing it. I agreed with the teacher that was in the first clip. She said that if you dont get the interest of your students, then you might as well be talking to a brick wall. I think this is true and technology is something that seems to interest a lot of people. One thing that is important is that the teacher knows how to properly use the technology becuase otherwise it could make the topic even more confusing than it already is.
ReplyDeleteI personally dont like the new Amazon book. I can see that it will save a lot of trees and probabally money down the line, but i am a person that likes to highlight and write notes right there in my books. I also like looking back at how many pages i have read to keep me motivated to keep going. I think this will be a very positive thing for may students but i personally dont think i would like it.
i agree with jen. we cant let the students forget how to do things the old fashon way becuase there is always a chance that the technology would fail.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a good point nicole. Anything we do in today's world is revolved around technology and there is no getting around it. Im sure down the line the old school concept of reading the book and learning that way will be thrown out of the window, so we might as well get used to it now. I agree as a teacher you must keep the students attention and technology certainly helps that. But im an old school kind of guy and likes to learn out of the text book as well
ReplyDelete