Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Week 3 - Technology in the Classroom
Watch the Technology youtubes on the left. 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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I'm just going to go right out and say it. Smartboards are a godsend and should be used in every classroom of any subject that is not physical education or i suppose music, not that music classes couldn't use them, just that music classes probably need them less. They are the ultimate teaching tool and can do so much to keep a student's attention.
ReplyDeleteI think that the smart boards are definately a good idea to use in the classroom they allow teachers to have greater versatility to show images and videos. They also are new and exciting to students, expecially children that are using them for the first time. The kindle books on the other hand don't seem like a good idea to me. We were actually talking about kindle books my philosophy class. They brought up some good points as to why books shouldn't become electronic. One was that technology isn't always the safest and things can be lost. So what if the systems crashed and all the books were lost? Also they brought up the fact that the government could potentially go back and change information already written down. Personally, i like having a book in my hand. Although in my classroom i would potentially be open to have children read e books if they were able to understand the material better that way. Like anything technology has its risks and its benifits. In my own experience with teachers using technology i really can't remeber using it all that much smart boards came out my last year of highschool. Besides that we would just make power points or just write papers. Maybe that is why i am more against the rush of technology then for it. :)
ReplyDeleteI believe that technology in the classroom for the most part is a wonderful thing. I think the smart board would be an amazing tool to use in the classrooms, especially at the elemntary stages. it would look like it would grab the kids attention more and be able to keep the childrens attention more as well as having the hands on experience. I also think this blog project we are doing in class is another interesting way to communicate with the students. Some people may be shy in class to state their opinion but by blogging, it makes it more comfortable and also lets people know your interested in the topics.
ReplyDeleteamazon kindle was interesting to watch but i am not too sure if i would completely throw out all textbooks. kindle was neat in the sence of how much information it can store and how the digital screen looks like a page from a book, but i would still rather use a textbook. Just like one student said in class, in a textbook, you are able to highlight the important subjects, and be able to bring the book home. kindle was not too specific about where these kindles would be purchased. would they be purchased by the schools or the students. i could not see a school allowing a student to bring home a multi-hundred dollar piece of equipment. Then on the other side, how is a student that has a family who is financially unstable going to be able to pay for this.
finally, i have to examples of technology used when i was in high school, both effectively and ineffectively. My math teacher was really good at programing information into the TI-83 calculators. so in many of his classes, he showed us a way to make a program for a formula so all we had to do was plug in the numbers and we would get the answer. of course he taught us the free handed way.
Being in high school for four years, you would think the school would teach you how to use microsoft word, excel, and power point in a computer class for projects and spread sheets but none of my teachers explained them. Still to this day i have not worked on excel or powerpoint. in two weeks, i have two power point presentations i have to give without any knowledge of the programs.
BEN: I agree with you saying that the smart board would definately keep the kids attention. at those early levels of education, they have a short attention span and are still facinated with hands on activities. with the smart board, you can utilize both. funny thing was that in my old high school, i had about four classes with teachers having a smart board, but not one of them pulled it out and utilized it in the class teachings.
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE the SmartBoard technology! There were some really great examples of how to use them in our classrooms. My kids' elementary school has them in every regular classroom, and the teachers and students use them every single day and love them.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked the wireless response system. I don't know how feasible it is for all upper-level schools to have them in their classrooms, but it would be nice to get immediate feedback from the students and for them to get feedback from the teacher. I wonder if there's a way to do that with their cell phones or texting...? That wouldn't allow for immediate graphing of surveys though.
I'm still up in the air on using the Amazon Kindle for the classroom. We are working on becoming a paperless society and more environmentally friendly. Think how many trees we could save if our students had e-books. (by the way, I'm not a tree-hugger, just making a point) As for not being able to highlight, you couldn't do that in middle school or high school. You had to take notes. But then you're back to that paper thing... maybe take notes on your laptop?
Oops, I forgot to mention how technology was effectively or ineffectively used by a teacher. There's a good reason for that. This is going to make me sound older than I really am, but we didn't have a whole lot of technology when I was in school. The coolest thing going was graphing calculators for Calculus class and they were really expensive. We were required to take typing class (on typewriters) and computer class to learn how one worked. There was no such thing as the internet, e-mail, or texting. My Calc teacher was really good about using the overhead projector to put up pre-drawn problems for her to work on without having to spend class time drawing them. :o)
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to technology in the classroom I think that if teachers are going to use it then they need to make sure every kid understands what they are doing. Smart boards are very helpful to kids and teachers but what happens when the smart board doesn't work? If you were in the middle of a lesson and the board just freezes, what do you do? Also, would the younger kids be so fantasized by the smart board that they wouldn't listen to the lesson? So if smart boards are used then you should just make sure that you have a back up plan. So I am both for technology and also straight from the book.
ReplyDelete-Leigh Anne-
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with you that if teachers are going to use technology in the classroom, they need to make sure that every student knows what they are doing. I know how it feels to not know what I am doing with technology and it is very frustrating. Like Chris said, no one taught me how to use power point or excel I had to learn on my own because a lot of my classes work with both programs.
I do feel that technology is a great thing in the classroom, but as of right now i see some great things that I feel can really change the way students are taught in the classroom. Then on the other hand I feel that some of the technology still needs a little bit of help.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone was saying I do feel that the smart board is amazing when it works. The way I saw those little kids interacting with it was great and I feel that it could be the tool to give some of those shy and insecure kids a good boost to their self confidence when they learn to use it. It is a great way to help students because it is so hands-on.
At the same time everyone keeps talking about how the Amazon Kindle is not a good idea because technology is not perfect and what if it were to crash or just not work? Well, in my high school many of my classrooms had smart boards in them, but they did not work. So the entire year all they did was sit there because no one could figure out how to fix them or make them work.
I do feel that the Amazon Kindle was pretty cool with all of the information it can store and how the digital screen looks like a page from a book, but it too can have its problems so I would not get rid of the text books because I feel we need to take baby steps.
So I feel technology is a good and bad thing all at the same time.
It's still early in the week of posting, but I'm really surprised by those of you that are afraid of using technology because it might break down. Just have a back-up plan!
ReplyDeleteI'm willing to bet you all want some technology at your disposal. I know that I want to be able to input student grades in a spreadsheet and have the grades calculated, and not rely on my pencil and paper math skills. I know that I want to correspond with parents, and possibly students, via e-mail instead of waiting for the appropriate time to try to reach each of them by phone.
Yes, there's a possibility that I'll have computer problems. I'll need to keep a back-up file for grades. I can always send out a note or make a phone call if I can't use my e-mail. And I plan to use whatever technology my school has available to me, especially a SmartBoard or similar technology. Who knows what kind of advancements will have been made by the time we'll make it into our own classrooms.
Technology is crazy and totally blows my mind!! I love it! I think it can be a great tool in the classroom. The invention of SmartBoards could quite possibly be the greatest invention of all time. It comes close behind the invention of the wheel. However i do think there needs to be a limit to how much technology is in the classroom. I think too much technology can be distracting at times. I am not all too fond of the Amazon Kindle. I don't think technology should ever replace books. Going back to Smart Boards; i have had many teachers effectively use them in the class room. They are able to use them for power point presentations, movies, and even fun review games like Jeopardy. They can also pull up the internet and show videos or current news. Many of my teachers did this and because of it, i believe all of the students walked out having learned something.
ReplyDeleteAnna Ferracane- I very much agree with what you pointed out about technology failing on you. It is not always going to work and if for example we replace our books with the Amazon Kindle or other technologies and they continue to fail..we will have to keep investing money to fix them and take the time to teach kids how to use them when we could just resort to this thing that has worked for hundreds of years before this technology called a book.
ReplyDeleteChris & Debbie - yes a graphing calculator is a technology. A very powerful piece of technology that math and statistics teachers should utilize!!! Debbie - don't feel old. I remember in college I felt so lucky because my parents bought me the newest, latest, and greatest brother typewriter that had one-line memory that scrolled along the top of the typewriter. It didn't completely remove the need for that obnoxious white rectangular type-over eraser thing(can't remember what it was called), but the fact that it had one line of memory was awesome!
ReplyDeleteAnd Chris is right about some of the more practical technologies in the form of microsoft applications. Knowing how to use an excel spreadsheet and powerpoint are important skills that we could introduce to young children.
Here is a question for thought - how do we squeeze it all in? Many teachers complain about not having enough time to cover the curriculum, prepare for MAP tests, and provide students with extra opportunities like technology that often don't get utilized. How can we deal with this?
I think technology in the classroom is great!! I always want my teachers to use the latest technology in class, the class is boring with out it. Smartboards are a miracle, my teachers would use them constantly in high school. Smartboards helps give the students a visual of the days lesson. Textbooks are old fashion and need to be upgraded, but they can be useful in the way of keeping them at home while using the amazon kindle at school. Amazon kindle is great new effective way to read a book, the students will never lose it because it will always stay at school, but if they needed the same information at home they will always have their textbooks. My english teacher in high school made our class use movie maker to make a video of one of our essays. It was fun making the video we had to tell our story through visual pictures and voice recordings.
ReplyDeleteOhh the technology we have today!! As we can see in the You Tube vidoes we watched technology has certainley advanced in the past few years. With out a doubt in my mind, technology is important in the classroom setting and will only get increasly better and more advanced. It can very hard to keep up with technology, but it is our jobs as educators to help our students succeed in any way possible. Smart boards, blogging, kindles are all different teaching technique that many students are going to find engaging and even very helpful. I am not saying that learing should be limited to technology though. Like others have said, you should always have a back up plan because technology is not always reliable.
ReplyDeleteAnother comment.. I know in the past couple of years, this year especially people have really focused on GOING GREEEN. I feel like a lot of these technologies can help us encourage this new way of living. For example paper. The kindle could save millions of trees :)
I think that it is awesome Brittany you actually had the chance to use smart boards in your classrooms. Unfortunately, for me I graduated before these were becoming popular so not a single teacher in my high school even had one. I also feel that I would have loved the hands on experience it allowed and think it helps everyone in the class to get evolved. Exciting and hands on = less boring!
ReplyDeleteAshley - great point about going green!
ReplyDeleteDebbie - thanks for challenging people who are afraid of the technology breaking down...
This is kayla d by the way it wouldnt let me do google account or url....Well i have been trying to post a comment three times each time it messed up and wouldn't let me send it....yay technology lol. Anyways, i was trying to comment about what chris said that blogging is nice for students who are to shy to speak in class. i have to ask is it technology that makes people shy ? After all they can't edit what they say in person but they can online or in a text. A perfect example would be is you meet someone on myspace or on facebook and you have convos and then you finally meet then in person, it is weird.People are so used to editing what they say it is rediculous.I think this is one of the reasons i am reluctant to just push technology into classrooms. I think smart boards really are a good idea because it gives a visual for the students that they may not have been able to see otherwise, but i didn't like the fact that teachers would let their students go onto facebook and twitter.It is true that they may go on those websites outside of the class but what educational purpose do these types of websites really serve? I just feel like people really are losing their ability to talk to others which is important, i feel like middle school students may like activities where they dont have to talk because they dont want to be judged for what they say.Its bad when you see a group of people at the mall or anywhere for that matter where people are together but they really arnt because everyone of the kids is texting...and also to comment on the going green with the kindle books definatley will help save paper but personally i feel the risks outway the benifits, schools could put thousands of dollars into the kindle books ultimatley to have them fail, or get broken or updated by a better version two weeks later. These thoughts are kind of all over the place but also teachers are going to have to us paper no matter what because computers do fail virus attack and things are lost that is why i think people keep saying what if all of this new technology fails, they have had experience themselves with computers.
ReplyDeleteI think that technology is great for the classroom and teachers today. However, I think that "teachers in training" are becoming to dependent upon technology. I had to complete a mock teaching at the previous university I attended and one girl had her entire lesson based upon technology and none of it would work that day so she failed the class because she couldn't think of anything to do on her own, nor did she had a back up plan if the technology failed to work. That being said I must agree with the first blog that smartboards are a God send! I am studying to become a PE and Health teacher. I have previously used the smart board to teach lessons of the body and students had to click and drag the muscles and bones, etc to there proper place. The smartboard kept the students engaged and eager to participate in class.
ReplyDeleteI think that teachers should be technology savvy because it is what our generation and generations to come rely on. However, I do think that teachers and students should first learn how to do things the good ole fashion way in case technology decides it doesn't want to work one day.
A little side note... I really enjoy the blogging. Its a great way to see other peoples opinions, really opens your mind to other peoples ideas and thoughts.
I forgot to comment about amazon kindle. I am a little unsure of how I feel about this. I think that students need textbooks to refer to for homework purposes. Are teachers and faculty really going to let students take these so called "books" home to complete homework or study with? Dont get me wrong I think its a great idea for personal and in home or even for in school use but not practical for everyday student learning.
ReplyDeleteMs Bishop- to commment on your question about how to squeeze all in. A lot of schools are now requiring students to take computer classes to learn how to do the basics of microsoft programs such as excel, etc. I think this is fabulous I wish my grade school/high school would have required this of me. Instead I get to sit in front of a computer for hours at a time trying to figure out the different programs on my own. I believe all teachers can include technology in some way shape or form. However, I think that often repeat the type of technology that they use, if they would "shake it up" a bit then students could use more and more types of technology on a daily basis.
Kayla,
ReplyDeleteYour experience is a perfect example of how frustrating technology can be at times. However, I am so glad that you stuck with it and figured it out. When you enter your Name/URL you can enter your name and leave the URL blank. Try that next time.
Kaitlynn-I, too, wish high schools required a computer application class. Talk about a life skill - it doesn't get any more real life than that!
I absolutely love smartboards in the classroom. I had a few classes in high school where we used smartboards. I transferred here from SCC and we had smartboards in every classroom. I absolutly loved them. There was one in the classroom where I taught JA and the kids loved it. They seemed to really enjoy going up to the board and writing on it or playing games on it.
ReplyDeleteDebbie...I agree with you on having a back up plan for when your technology fails you. It may mess up a little bit of your plan but it won't completly ruin the whole lesson plan.
Kayla- you made a good point about how expensive it would be for schools or districts to supply students with Kindles or the like, just to have the technology outdated within just a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there's a company out there right now developing an electronic book reader made especially for schools that will specialize in allowing for continuous upgrades at low costs...
What? It could happen. :)
My junior year of high school my stat teacher used a SmartBoard. He used it to teach us about our scientific calculators and also do problems. What I liked most about it was the calculator. It was really nice because he could show us exactly how to use the calculator and not just explain it. We could actually come up and push the buttons on the screen.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Kindles are expensive, but I don't think you guys realize how much money school districts spend on text books. Each text book probably costs on average $60. Times Six classes = $360 worth of text books. Most school districts review curriculum on a six or seven year rotation so they don't buy brand new books every year, BUT there is still a LOT of money spent on books. Maybe an electronic form of a text book like a Kindle would be an investment up front - but it might save money in the long run. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Bishop- I agree that schools spend a good amount of money on textbooks. Schools also have to renew the books all the time because the students do not take care of them. Kindles stay in the classroom and the teacher can always make sure they are properly taken care of. In the end the Kindles will last much longer than textbooks and save the schools a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteI am not afraid of technology and I plan to embraise what is at my disposal. I think the smart boards can take lesson plans to a whole other level. Students are more eager to learn and is not afraid to get up and show the class that they know the answer. All the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteNothing is fool proof and with the Kindles it would help with all that weight that students put on their back. Think about when we were all carrying around these really heavy backpacks. I know that I couldnt wait to get to the next class so I could put it down.
Debbie: I really agree with your outlook on the technology subject. Ofcourse you will have to have a backup to ensure that there will still be lessons in case of any problems. I am not a tree hugger as well but you made a good point it would save so many trees. The world is trying to go green and I think it is wonderful. This is our world and we should make sure there is going to still be one for the future.
ReplyDeleteI think I have figured out how to get your picture on the comments. You must do it through your own blogger profile. Log into blogspot.com and go to your profile. Upload a photo and it should appear every time you comment. Let's see if it worked - if it works then my picture will appear next to this comment.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so it didn't work - I tried a few more things. Let's see if this worked.
ReplyDeleteArgh! I will keep working on this and hopefully will be successful soon.
ReplyDeleteonly a few of my teachers have used a smartboard, two of my english teachers did, and i really enjoyed it. We used it to correct sentences and have class competitions. I think that technology can get the students more engaged into the material because it is new and exciting! but i don't think it is the best thing for all students. i think it just depends on how you learn.
ReplyDeleteI believe technology should be used in the classrooms should be used to some extent. You of course need to involve technology in the class because as teachers we are preparing our students for the world. Technology is a big part of surviving in the real world. Kids still need to be able to add and multiply without a calculator and read books. The use of technology excites the kids and overall makes it a better learning environment.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to say that from personal experience I believe technology is very good compared to the non-technologically advanced class. Teachers using smartboards can demonstrate exactly how they are doing things to a entire classroom at once, instead of having to physically go to each student and show them something.
ReplyDeleteBut I would like to come from a different P.O.V. on why I believe tehnology should be used. Lets face it, society is getting more and more technology oriented and eventually everything will be at least influened by it. This certainty should make us want to teach in environments that are going to actually pertain to the future of our students, as oppossed to old books with markings in them, old chalk boards that have no creative aspect to them, etc. If the whole world is going with technology, why should the classroom be different? What is the point of preparing students in a "old school" setting and then letting them loose in a world far more advanced than the classroom? With this logic, I am supporting everything technology oriented, due to that being the future.
Brittnay, I agree with you. Books will end up costing much more due to their constant need for repair/replacement.
ReplyDeleteBen, The use of technology is important but I believe their are certain things that kids need to learn that have been taught for decades the same way.
ReplyDeleteI think that technology in the classroom can be very useful, only in certain situations though. When it comes to the smart board the options are endless and can greatly help any student, however in situations such as textbooks i dont feel that technology can be helpful. I think it is much more effective for a student to read out of his book rather than just listen to an audiobook or have the computer read to you. In almost any other situation though i don't see how technology can not be useful
ReplyDeleteWhat ever happened to the chalkboard?! nah.. i think that it is very important to include technology into the classroom, but not overwhelmingly. i am all about going green, but that new amazon kindle is a little over the top. yes it is efficient and green, but kids need to be able to highlight and add important notes while reading through a new chapter.. i think books are best. plus, i wonder what would happen if you dropped the kindle a couple times?!
ReplyDeletei also agree with Ben about the smartboards. they are very modern, green, efficient, and keeps the kids attention. i also believe that every class should have one. they will only benefit the students.
ReplyDeleteHaving technology in the classroom is a great idea. In todays society we live off of technology. It would be a great idea to teach students in the classroom how to use and maybe get ahead in the internet world. The Amazon kindle could change a few things. but, kids would not know what it feels like to carry four heavy books but it would also be impossible for kids to use these in the class room and know how to make time out of the room to study. I had a computer teacher try to use a smart board in the classroom and she had no clue how to turn it on. She really needed to be taught ahead of time.
ReplyDeleteRuss- I agree with you. Smart boards are a great advance in this world and the amazong books really should not take the place of the real ones. Kids need to use the real ones!
ReplyDeleteI think the Amazon Kindle would be a great and benefical tool to bring into the schools. I believe you need to keep paper books in the class as well and us both learning techniques old and new. Using the Amazon Kindle would be helpful for college students because books are very costly also all reading material would be in one spot so it would be alot less material you would need to carry around.
ReplyDeleteThese youtube sites had such great examples of new technology coming into the classrooms today. I love the remote response system. Its a great tool because you see immediate resluts of your answer so questions can be answered right away. If i were in a class with this technology equipment being used i would participate alot more.
I graduated from high school three years ago and went to a lower income school where we did not use any of these amazing materials. With that said I have never used a smart board but hopefully when i go to a class for my student teaching i will have the opportunity to use one and see it being used in person.
Technology in the classroom is a wonderful thing, but like most great things, needs to be used in moderation and with more general ways of teaching. Students of today are used to using technology in pretty much every activity of their lives and with it now being integrated into the classroom, maybe this will help to keep the attention of students in the classroom. The Promethean Board seems great. The idea of putting up the map of the country when students are studying that area or even just using it for an activity seems like it will really grasp the attention of all of the students, especially on an elementary level. The Student Response "clicker" seems like a cool idea, but I have had some college classes with this tool and it isn't as great as it looks. For purposes of keeping the attention on the subject-well it definitely works-especially since most students don't want to be called out on in class. For me, I was very unfamiliar with this tool, so I spent more time making sure that I buzzed in on time so that my grade wasn't affected than actually taking in the information that I was reading. It just needs a little bit more instruction than what I received. The Amazon Kindle is wonderful! I know quite a few people who use it and it really makes it so much easier. Rather than carrying around books for classes, students can carry around one tiny book that holds hundreds of subjects. I really think that this is going to be big as soon as more people become accustomed to using it.
ReplyDeleteThe smart board is a great idea as well, although my little brother's school has a lot of these in their classrooms, but are not allowed anywhere near them. Teachers tend to use the boards around them rather than using the board itself because they are not taught properly how efficient this board can be. It seems great that you can just put up your powerpoint on the computer and have it displayed to the whole class, but even then be able to write on the board and involve the class more. I had a professor a couple of semesters ago that was one of the few in the campus to have a smart board. She put up her power points just fine but instead of using the board for interaction purposes or involving the class, she used the smart board as a projection screen. It seems silly to me that she has this object that does so much and didn't use it to its full potential.
In regards to what Ben wrote about technology being the future, you are completely right. Students should not be required to learn in a classroom without technology since that is what they are used to. Just look at how much technology has grown in the past few years. We are learning so much more through this and even in the next few years as we become teacher, technology will have grown and changed again. It is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives and everyone needs to start believing in it a little more and stop being so afraid of it. This is the wave of the future and I don't see it stopping at any time.
ReplyDeleteTechnology in the classroom is a great way for students to learn the subject as well as how to use and navigate modern technology. I personally like the idea of the smartboard and kindle the most. Neither of the two takes away from a the students learning ability and they are a fun way to learn.
ReplyDeleteI've too had a personal experience with the smartboard and it was in more than one subject. It made learning fast and fun for the class.
ReplyDeleteI love how ashley brought up the topic of "Going Green". We are all about going green through our environment so fusing it into our schools would be amazing. So i feel the Amazon Kindle would be a great tool for the environment.
ReplyDeleteIncreased use of technology in the classroom is the best thing thats ever happened to education and the process of learning in general. Smartboards seem to be popping up everywhere these days simply because they save time and are more effective than good old fashion chalk on the blackboard. Smart also appear to be pathing the way for future classroom tech gear like the amazon kindle. Not that i hate books but the kindle just makes more sense. Y carry around a bunch of books when you can have all of them downloaded in the same spot. I can't see kids forgetting to bring their books to class if they only have to carry one. Not to mention it would also save college students and school districts money not having to buy printed text books. Looking back on it i actually had many teachers in high school who completely ignored the book for their subject altother. They just used smartboards with notes and videos to teach because they were much more up to date.
ReplyDeletei agree with ashley and kayla! i myself try to do all i can to go green! using technology is a way to use less paper, producing less waste. and not having to carry around less books would definately be beneficial to the kids. but should technology be relied on so much? technology has a tendency of messing up, are we willing to put all of our trust into something unstable?
ReplyDeleteAshley, I also like your comment about the whole going green thing. I've never been a tree hugger, but with the amount of paper that is used and wasted in most classrooms, teachers might as well be considered part time lumberjacks
ReplyDeleteAshley- I never would have thought about it using less paper and it would cost less for schools to get paper. I think that it still is important to have some things on paper though. Like a book.
ReplyDeleteI think that using tech. in the classrooms would help students get involved in the classroom. Ive used a smartboard once in a classroom and it was fun to write on and it actually got more students wanting to answer so they could test the board out. I know in my high school we couldnt get on youtube. If it were possible for the teachers to have access to it to use in the lessons. i believe it would make the lessons more interesting. I dont think that we should use it fully in the classrooms because you do have days when it is down or its not bringing things up. Its good to have a backup plan. I think the kindle looks really cool and i wouldnt mind having on of my own however i dont think it should be used in a classroom. It would be hard for students not to serf the web. I believe things should be mixed.
ReplyDeleteBen, I feel the same way about SmartBoards and how they can effectively teach many students at once. To me they save a lot of time on the same questions that many of the students probably have. Then there is more time for one of one with each of the students individual needs.
ReplyDeleteBy the time we get out of school you never know we might have all the kinks worked out with getting technology in the classroom. I think we are just scared of it because it is still new and there are always problems that arise. The cell phone had to start somewhere!!!
ReplyDeleteI think using technology in the classrooms is a good thing. The smartboards are awesome. I cadet taught a class and we used it throughout the class to show examples and graphs, etc... The teacher did not use it for everything however which is good, she still had them use their text books and worksheets after they had the smartboard out. The kids absolutely loved it, you could visually see how much more they were engage.
ReplyDeleteThe amazon kindle is interesting. I have personally never used one. I think these are a great idea for college students, because of the cost of our books. We have to spend so much each semester, when we could just download them. They are efficient in our case. I think that grade schools should still use text books due to the fact that you can get on the internet, kids don't always follow the rules, especially with the temptation handed to them. Amazon kindle is not a bad investment in my view for college students.
To what ashley said: it is our jobs as educators to help our students succeed in any way possible. This is true, because even if we, as a teacher don't use it, another teacher may. So we should still want to learn how to use it and pass it on to the students. That way they aren't oblivious to it. I think we should have computer classes teaching the students how to use the newest technology.
ReplyDeletei think technology is needed in the classroom. to totally replace books and texts with computers is not completely nescessary, but if your able to do so then i think you should be able to. the future of our classrooms will depend on technology so why not get a head start?
ReplyDeletethe amazon kindle is awesome, anyone who is able to afford it should be advised to do so, but like i said earlier its not necessary.
i was in 5th grade when my elementary school first got a smartboard, it immediately caught my attention and helped me keep attentive in class because it really made things fun.
this kind of goes along with what kimberly is saying about students taking classes to extend their knowledge of technology. i think it should be mandatory for all teachers to take tech classes. i cant tell you how many teachers ive had in the past who have tried teaching students things on computers that can barely even work them. its hard to learn from a teacher when the majority of their students know more then they do.
ReplyDeleteAndrew- I totally agree with you. My friend has went through middle school and up with using a calculator, and since she has depended on it for so long she forgot how to do any multipying on her own.
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