Classrooms today have much more technology than it had even 10 years ago. Many students today have smart phones, tablets, and computers that they use not only for social actives and games but also for research and in class projects. Teachers have to be able to use technology in their classroom to keep students engaged and to ensure students are ready for the world outside of the classroom. Technology in the classroom is vital to a student’s success, growth, and enjoyment and should be utilized as a tool for all classrooms and age ranges. Using devices such as tablets, the internet, and smart boards are only a start to the world of technology that is available to them however these are the main tools I would use in my classroom.
Tablets Tablets are taking over basic computers because of how mobile they are, what they can do and how easy they are to use. Schools are starting to have these little devices available to students in class to create projects, do research, and play educational games. Tablets can be used in the classroom to enhance instruction if the teacher has found or made a simple app that helps enforce what is being taught or can have the students make an app that can be used to help their classmates study. I would use tablets in the classroom to encourage my students to research and add to instruction, to find real-world related issues, or historically relevant information. My goal is to be a history teacher, which means that using a tablet with internet access means my students and see things such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech, and other aired events can help them connect and feel connected to the history that would be taught during different times of the year. The Internet The internet is basically a large data base that just about anyone can access and can offer new and exciting information for students to use on projects in the classroom. Using the internet for videos, games, and local news as a history teacher can enhance the classroom and bring it to life for students to feel engaged. Students not only have access to the internet from devices like tablet computers but also from their phones, traditional computers, and laptops. Being able to store their projects on web-tools like Google Docs means that their presentations are able to be accessed not just at school but at home as well giving them more chances to make their projects even better than before. Also it can also give me, as their teacher, a chance to give them feedback quickly that can help them make their project better than they had hoped. Students will be able to use the internet to do much more than what they would have done with just access to a library in their school. Smart Boards Smart boards are still new and use a projector and a special white board to act like a computer screen that is interactive. Smart Boards can be used by both the teachers and the students to engage the class in different actives such as spelling, making a time line, and playing a game or two. Smart boards are often used in younger classrooms and not so much at the high school and middle school level but could be set up to where students can access the program on the smart board with their tablets encouraging them to post their answers to any daily questions, comments on videos, and to ask the teacher questions. In my classroom, I would want to use a smart board as a tool for my students to explore on and share their ideas with timelines or other event lines that help put history in their hands. Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Learning Technology in the classroom is riddled with arguments that lean on both being good and bad for students and teachers. “Technology has made it easier for teachers to impart knowledge to the students and for students to acquire it (Sahakov, R., 2014)” Technology in the classroom can encourage students to use their critical thinking skills, collaborate with each other, and find their creative outlet with group projects. Students can access information in seconds thanks to the internet, however they must be careful on where the information they get comes from. For every primary source of information there are thousands of other not so reputable sources of information (Online Cultus, 2014) Technology can be distracting when students find something else to do on the devices that does not pertain to the classroom but if the teacher does get a message when a student goes off task they could redirect the student with a simple message to remind them what they should be doing. Regardless of what side of the debate a teacher falls on, it is clear that technology is going to stay and be used in the classroom. As teachers, it is our jobs to help our students to remember what they should be doing and make the classroom fun while using what we have available to us. Wired and Wireless Classrooms Wired or wireless? That is the question when talking about technology in general. A wired classroom is a classroom who’s computers and network is set up through a series of wires and modems that can only handle a small amount of devices and computers. Where as a wireless network is a network that requires no wires to connect to the modem or other computers that are logged onto the network. The pros of a wired network is that it is more reliable and does not disconnect as easily as a wireless network but cannot be mobile and moved around from classroom to classroom or room to room. For wireless, a pro would be that it does not require students to stay connected to one modem in the classroom and allow the students freedom of movement to move to where as a group they can concentrate better with less distractions from other students. Conclusion Technology is here to stay in the classroom and needs to be used to help students grow and become successful in classes that they will have in the future. Using tablets, the internet and smart boards are only a small part of the technology that is available to students and teachers to enhance the classroom and can be used for more than just presentations but student led projects. Showing students the fun and innovate ways that students can use technology can open students up for a new world that they can help control their learning. References: Sahakov, R. (2014, January 15). 2 Pros And 2 Cons To Education Technology. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://www.edudemic.com/education-technology-pros-cons/ The pros and cons of including technology in the classroom - Online Cultus. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://www.onlinecultus.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-including-technology-in-the-classroom/
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Today we use many different forms of technology on a daily basis. We use devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, smart TVs and so much more. Classrooms today are equipped with much more than it was 10 years ago and in having so much more students, teachers and parents need to understand how the classroom would use the new technology that is available to them. These technologies need to be able to enhance communication through the Remind Application, a classroom website, and social media to keep both student and parent informed about what is going on in the classroom and their grades.
Technology to Enhance Communication Remind (mobile application): Remind101 or also known as remind is a free service for teachers to keep in touch with parents and students. This program allows for text messages to be sent only from the teacher to the students or parents that have subscribed to it which keeps everyone’s personal information safe. Because most students have a cell phone and use them regularly teachers can utilize teens affinity for mobile phones and use them in the classroom to support context, student-centered learning and collaboration and authentic learning while using different instruction tactics (Thomas, K., & Orthober, C., 2011). With this program my students will be able to stay informed using text messages on assignments due, test reminders and reminders of projects that are due. If parents use the program they will be able to be informed if their student is missing assignments, failing the class or could use extra help after school. A classroom website: Classrooms today are not what they were 10 years ago and teachers use classroom websites to make it possible to showcase students’ work to more than just the school audience and involve parents and the community as partners in the learning process (Holcomb, L. B., Castek, J. M., & Johnson, P. R., 2007). A classroom website can be used to help students track their assignments and when they are due, any special dates coming up in the classroom such as field trips and to have a chance to communicate with the teacher in a form that is accessible to the other students. For parents, a website can be a drastic change to just verbal communication and can help them keep on the same level of what is going on in their students’ school life as well as seeing what their student is learning about during the current semester. Social Media: Social media can help our students stay connected to one another when not at school and working on projects together. When students use Google apps to collaborate with Other students they learn to work as a team by sharing and creating documents, slide sets, spreadsheets, drawings, websites, maps blogs and so much more. These apps also allow for students and the teacher to give input on how to make the project better (Swan, C., 2013). All of this can be shared through social media such as Google docs. However more than that is using a social page to allow students to be in a group that allows for them to stay in touch in a way that is more appropriate to how they normally would. For parents who use the same social media it can encourage them to track and keep in touch with their student in more ways than just talking. Communication Internet Security and Safety Teachers should address Internet security by reminding their students to not share certain information online such as where they live, where they go to school, types of photos they share, and how they use social media. When it comes to safety with communication as well as security remembering all of these things help to keep teachers, students and parents safe. With many people using social media they forget how information can be used against them and how their information is easily accessible by many people even if they mean it not to be. Being aware of what is posted, how it is posted and if it was posted while using a GPS type device it can be see how and why many people forget how easily it is for others to use their information. Many students are still learning about the world around them and how information is exchanged may forget the best way to use and share their posts with family and friends while keeping those that they do not want to see the information from seeing it. Many sites offer a chance to edit who can see posts, pictures, and blogs and with this comes some control of who has access to the information keeping parents, teachers and students safer. Students need to be able to access different ways to communicate with teachers and parents in this day with technology changing. Teachers can use many forms of communication to keep both parents and students informed and using apps, websites, and social media is only a small part of what is available for everyone to use. Being safe while using technology is important for everyone and remembering to use it responsibly is probably the easiest way to keep information private that needs to be. Regardless of the dangers students use and embrace the use of many forms of communication and as a teacher it is a way for us to encourage our students to not only use the technology available but to use it in a way that can help their education. References: Thomas, K., & Orthober, C. (2011). USING TEXT-MESSAGING IN THE SECONDARY CLASSROOM. American Secondary Education, 39(2), 55-76. Holcomb, L. B., Castek, J. M., & Johnson, P. R. (2007). Unlocking the Potential of K-12 Classroom Websites to Enhance Learning. New England Reading Association Journal, 43(1), 36-43. Swan, C. (2013). BEING SOCIAL. Tech & Learning, 33(7), 30-33. |