This week we learned about technology and how to integrate it into the classroom. Both articles that I had to read were very informative and definitely helped me to understand the importance of technology in the classroom. Our world is changing and has changed greatly since I was in grade school and this is simply because of the introduction and the availability of different types of technology that are available to todays students. I could not have imagined taking a course online when I was in grade school or evening having an iPad that allowed me to take my learning to a whole new level! I think that technology greatly impacts our world today and as teachers we need to learn how to adapt our classrooms to meet the needs of our students and to be able to explore the different types of technology that is available to us. It is hard for me to imagine that one day there might not be any school buildings and everything is going to be a virtual classroom. I think technology has its ups and downs. Not all schools have access to technology sources so how can these schools be helped in order to keep up with the schools that have access to many different types of technology. I also think that technology is becoming more obtainable as we progress through the years and we need to be able to create our lessons around the technology that students have access to. However, in some school districts students might not have access to technology so can we expect all students to use technology to upload daily homework assignments or to even use technology, such as YouTube or Prezi, to complete an assignment. The link that I have provided is very useful because it helps to explain how the roles of both the teachers and the students have changed since the use of technology has been introduced into the classroom. I also agree that the motivation and self-esteem of students can be greatly increased through the use of technology because the students enjoy using technology so therefore they are more motivated to complete a task and when they are more motivated to complete something then they are going to have a higher level of self-esteem when they complete it and even moreso when they receive a good grade on it. Finally, the students are more willing to work with one another and help each other when it comes to working on tasks that involve technology. As teachers we need to do what ever we can to help our students desire and want to learn and if we have to do that through the use of technology then so be it!
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
Donna,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog layout as well! It is bright and cheery. I agree with you that technology is getting easier to come by, but that we still have to recognize that not everyone in every school district has the access. Not to mention our families sometimes having even less access. I like how you thought about how technology allows students to build confidence, to take an active role in learning and also take more of a responsibility for the technology they are using. My kiddos know that technology is sacred in my classroom. We treat it with the utmost respect and make sure we don't abuse it. It has allowed them to explore learning in new ways and has even made them ask their parents to involve more technology in their own homes!