Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Incorporating Technology in the classroom ~ My Teaching Philosophy
I feel that technology should be an integral part of education. I have observed classrooms over the past year where technology was readily available and utilized. I have also seen classrooms where technology was scarce or not understood and therefore not touched. I feel that it is important to find a happy medium when it comes to teaching and technology.
Schools need to be supported when it comes to technology and education. If we don’t have technology available in our schools, we are not properly serving our students. There are so many ways to make learning relative when we can integrate technology into our lessons. Just adding a short YouTube video to introduce your lesson or to show examples of learning strategies can help students connect to a lesson. Creating a power point slideshow to introduce a new topic can engage student interest better than merely lecturing to your class. With student lap tops, you can conduct research about gardening. The students can then take the information they find and plant a garden based on what grows well in the region. Technology can be used to gather data about growing rates and students can journal about their findings. Integrating technology with the physical act of growing a garden teaches students how to compare and contrast information in different ways. Students can create their own class website where they can post pictures and record voice threads. Technology can be used for survey’s, such as with the use of clickers. If your school is in an area where you are not able to go on field trips, you can access virtual field trips right from your computer. You can communicate with students from other schools or countries using Skype.
There are endless ways to incorporate technology into teaching. If technology is available, the only limit is your imagination.
Schools need to be supported when it comes to technology and education. If we don’t have technology available in our schools, we are not properly serving our students. There are so many ways to make learning relative when we can integrate technology into our lessons. Just adding a short YouTube video to introduce your lesson or to show examples of learning strategies can help students connect to a lesson. Creating a power point slideshow to introduce a new topic can engage student interest better than merely lecturing to your class. With student lap tops, you can conduct research about gardening. The students can then take the information they find and plant a garden based on what grows well in the region. Technology can be used to gather data about growing rates and students can journal about their findings. Integrating technology with the physical act of growing a garden teaches students how to compare and contrast information in different ways. Students can create their own class website where they can post pictures and record voice threads. Technology can be used for survey’s, such as with the use of clickers. If your school is in an area where you are not able to go on field trips, you can access virtual field trips right from your computer. You can communicate with students from other schools or countries using Skype.
There are endless ways to incorporate technology into teaching. If technology is available, the only limit is your imagination.
Technology & Education Quotes ~
“Teachers also need to be convinced of the value of technology as a tool to supplement and improve classroom practice. Technology, which is well integrated into the curriculum, rather than merely added to it, may be one means by which skeptical teachers may develop positive beliefs about the role of technology as a tool for learning.”
Wozney, Venkatesh, & Abrami (2006)
“While attention to choosing the appropriate hardware and software for the classroom is prerequisite, it is the skill and attitude of the teacher that determines the effectiveness of technology integration into the curriculum.”
(BITNER and BITNER)
“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”
Bill Gates
Wozney, Venkatesh, & Abrami (2006)
“While attention to choosing the appropriate hardware and software for the classroom is prerequisite, it is the skill and attitude of the teacher that determines the effectiveness of technology integration into the curriculum.”
(BITNER and BITNER)
“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”
Bill Gates
Technology & Education Links~
Here are some really great technology links that teachers can use in order to integrate technology in the classroom...
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
National Geographic Kids is a GREAT site for pictures, activities, and ideas for kids. There are a number of things that can be found here including videos, interactive games and stories, as well as an awesome blog spot where NG Kids post information relevant to kids.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
NASA.gov brings you images, videos and interactive features from the unique perspective of America’s space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, subscribe to blogs, find activities and information about rockets, astronauts, space exploration, space shuttles, solar system, and galaxies.
http://field-trips.org/
Tramline is a wonderful resource for virtual field trips. Students can take a field trip online to a variety of different educational destinations.
http://www.theevergladesstory.org/
This is an interactive website where you can learn and explore in the Florida Everglades.
http://earth.google.com/
Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others.
http://quest.nasa.gov/vft/
The Virtual Field Trip is an immersive multimedia application developed to support student and user exploration of areas on Earth that have been identified as analog sites to regions on Mars. Analog sites are those areas that share some common traits with sites on Mars and have been identified based on their significance and importance to NASA.
http://bookadventure.org/
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 6,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read offline, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. K-8
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/interact-read.htm
This is a great resource all in one place. You can access this website and find interactive programs for your students within the following disciplines: Reading, Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, as well as Assessment.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
National Geographic Kids is a GREAT site for pictures, activities, and ideas for kids. There are a number of things that can be found here including videos, interactive games and stories, as well as an awesome blog spot where NG Kids post information relevant to kids.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
NASA.gov brings you images, videos and interactive features from the unique perspective of America’s space agency. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, subscribe to blogs, find activities and information about rockets, astronauts, space exploration, space shuttles, solar system, and galaxies.
http://field-trips.org/
Tramline is a wonderful resource for virtual field trips. Students can take a field trip online to a variety of different educational destinations.
http://www.theevergladesstory.org/
This is an interactive website where you can learn and explore in the Florida Everglades.
http://earth.google.com/
Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others.
http://quest.nasa.gov/vft/
The Virtual Field Trip is an immersive multimedia application developed to support student and user exploration of areas on Earth that have been identified as analog sites to regions on Mars. Analog sites are those areas that share some common traits with sites on Mars and have been identified based on their significance and importance to NASA.
http://bookadventure.org/
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 6,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read offline, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. K-8
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/interact-read.htm
This is a great resource all in one place. You can access this website and find interactive programs for your students within the following disciplines: Reading, Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, as well as Assessment.
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