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.
Nice suggestions April. I think you have a great philosophy regarding the appropriate use of technology in the classroom. I think if technology is seen in terms of this (fairly easy to navigate), educators might be much more inclined to participate...
ReplyDelete"I feel that it is important to find a happy medium when it comes to teaching and technology"
ReplyDeleteI agree with your philosophy on technology in the classroom and I do believe that it is possible to find that productive space between technology skeptic and enthusiast. As you mentioned, when teachers don't understand how to use technology it remains an untapped educational resource. I am concerned that my lack of technical knowledge will hinder my ability to provide my students with the best education I can, which is why I am determined to take continuing ed courses to improve my computer/technical skills.