The use of technology in classrooms has always been a topic of great debate. As we take our education courses we have learned the advantages of the use of technology in the classroom in different subject areas. Although teachers agree that technology is a great tool in the classrooms to enhance learning many do not have the technological resources to make that type of learning happen. During my observations throughout the various semesters I have not seen teachers take advantage of the iPads that are offered in their classrooms in order to teach a whole class. The only time that I have observed them use the iPads were during centers when students were allowed to go onto the program "razkids." What type of technology infusion have you seen in classrooms during your observations? How can we implement the use of technology during a lesson? How rigorous do you plan to make technology-based work/projects for your students when you have your own class?
I have not seen much technology being infused in the classroom at my current observation because the school does not have much funding to provide each student with their own device. I have seen the SmartBoard used on occasion but the teacher mainly uses the big dry erase board within the classroom. I have seen a school where the students did have their own devices from Chromebook carts that were placed around the school. The teacher used the Chromebooks often as the students typed up their rough and final drafts for papers, played educational games during their free time, used iMovie for various projects, submitted weekly homework on their class page, and looked up resources and evidence to back up their information during class.
ReplyDeleteI think creating a PowerPoint for your lesson is good but should not be all of the technology that you use within your lesson. I personally love finding educational videos on YouTube that relate to my lesson to help the students be engaged in the lesson. I would typically start the lesson off with a video that introduces the topic and stimulates the students’ interest in the topic that we will be learning about. Fun educational games, interactive websites, online writing prompts, iMovie projects, or digital field trips are just some ways to incorporate technology within the classroom.
I think incorporating technology within your classroom is very important because that is what the students know. I think that technology should be applied every day. Using technology may not be needed for every lesson, but technology such definitely be used often in the classroom. I think the level of technology used within the classroom also depends on the grade level that you teach. If I had 5th grade, I would incorporate more technology in the classroom than I would with a kindergarten class. This is mostly because the 5th grade students have the skill set to type up a rough draft of a paper, edit it, and create the final draft. With kindergarten I would probably use technology but more as a whole class instruction rather than pairing a device with each student. I personally feel very comfortable using technology in my classroom and find fun and creative ways to heighten my lesson. I have been very creative in the past before with technology in my personal life and I know that I can use my own skill set to generate fun internet activities and websites for my students to use. I definitely see myself using technology within my future classroom.
-Erin Flohr
Comment from Molly Heller
ReplyDeleteTechnology is used in a wide variety of ways in my 5th grade classroom. Each student has an assigned Chromebook that they use in writing, vocab and spelling, math, social studies and science.
In writing, the students use the Chromebooks, particularly Google Docs, to complete their writing assignments, whether they be big or small pieces. Students do have the option to write with a pencil and paper if they wish to do so as well. In spelling and vocabulary, students use Google Classroom. The teacher posts daily vocabulary review questions on Classroom that students are supposed to answer. They use Spelling City for extra practice with their words, and they often choose to use Google Docs to complete their weekly spelling assignments. The math teacher has her own style of using Chromebooks in the class. For science, students use an online simulator through the curriculum program Amplify (what the science curriculum is based on this year) to play on simulators about the earth, sun, and outer space. Social studies involves the least amount of technology use, as students do a lot more hands on activities and readings in this subject. The teacher infuses technology into her lessons through the use of powerpoint, educational videos, etc.
I have a lot of reservations when it comes to technology in the classroom. Call me old-fashioned, but students should not be using technology every single day in the majority of subjects. I absolutely understand technology's significance and how it can be a great learning tool to enhance student learning and teacher instruction, through the use of educational videos, online resources and simulators, and so on. I think it is becoming too much of a dominant force in the classroom. I believe in John Dewey's philosophy of learning by doing, and in my mind, that means more hands-on, creative learning projects and activities in the class that do not require, or need a minimal amount of technology. Technology can be used to create unique and exciting projects for sure, but when I have my own classroom, it is not going to be used as frequently and heavily as I have seen it used this year.
It is important to integrate technology as it can help increase academic success in classrooms. I believe that technology should be used in the classroom as a tool to benefit learning, and not as a distraction in the learning process.
ReplyDeleteWithin the 2nd grade classroom where I observe this semester, I have seen technology being used in a variety of different lessons. Each of the students use their own Chromebooks at their desks for either group work or individual practice. They may use their Chromebooks to play games on Abcya and also work on interactive activities in math or reading with iReady. They often use iReady during their math center time in the classroom.
As a teacher myself, I would make sure to make the most of the technology given to my class. Teachers can implement technology during a lesson by using the projector with easy-interactive tools in the classroom in order to display information for the class. For example, my cooperating teacher gives the students an opportunity to show their work in front of the class with the use of a Smartpen. I would let them use technology for their technology-based work projects in the way that benefits their learning at their own pace. I also like how my cooperating teacher implements technology by allowing the students to use their Chromebooks during math learning centers.
-Maria DiSpigna
My second grade class this year is lucky enough to have a 1:1 program with iPads. They use their iPads a great deal, all while using them effectively and appropriately. My cooperating teacher was intimidated at the beginning of the year but is truly incorporating the technology in the most effective way, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I have seen the iPads being used for free time, however the students are still playing on educational programs during this time. More academically led, my cooperating teacher will send them assignments to complete throughout lessons, as well as in centers. I have observed a science lesson in which the students were able to create the life cycle of the mealworms they observed, all on their iPads. It was interesting for the students because they realized that something that may have been just routine to do on paper, but it became interesting for them to use their iPads.
During center work, my cooperating teacher sends them assignments such as "glow writing" where the students essentially copy their vocabulary words a number of times in a fun glowing font. They enjoy this and then they are able to add a recording to this assignment where they are reading the words aloud. It is very interesting.
In other classrooms I've observed, I've seen mostly 'time filling' technology activities. I am very grateful for this semester to observe technology being used in a useful and effective manner.
The implementation of technology is so very important in todays classrooms. Through my observations in many different classrooms and schools, I have seen technology being incorporated into the curriculum in many different ways. It is important for students to have this knowledge of technology because as they get older, technology is only going to enhance.
ReplyDeleteIn the lower primary grades I have seen iPads being a big part of learning. Students are able to play educational games on this. This is a privilege for them that has to be earned. I think it is a great way to reward students with this. In the upper primary grades each classroom has a set of ChromeBooks for the students. This is when students partake in Google Classroom. This is a great way for teachers to post what is coming up and what is due. In my town, at the high school level, each student is given a ChromeBook that they are expected to carry around and take home with them. At this level, almost everything is based off the computer which is why it is so important to start students early on technology.
Lexia, Abcya, razkids, and Star Fall are just some of the applications that I have seen being used in the lower primary grades. Another important aspect that I see in my current observation is “tech time.” This is every Monday where the students go to the library for 45 minutes and the librarian gives a technology lesson to the students. I think that this has really benefited the first graders because they are just beginning to learn about technology.
It is important to implement technology into your lessons because, as stated before, when these young students get older, the only thing they will know is technology.
In the first grade classroom, I was in this semester, there was no technology used, besides the SmartBoard. The SmartBoard was only used by the teacher and the students never came to the front and interacted with the SmartBoard. The classroom did not have any technology, such as computers and/or tablets, which the students would be able to use for research and educational games, during free time. Last year, when I observed in the 5th grade there was quite a lot of technology use, each student had their own assigned Chromebook, where they wrote essays, looked at their online textbook, and interactive math lessons. The students in the 5th grade used the Chromebooks appropriately and found it easier to write essays on the laptops. Technology can be used in various ways during a lesson plan, such as in the opening, presentation, and/closure. Students can take online tests, as well as complete interactive lessons on their computers during a lesson. I think technology in the classrooms is very important, due to how much the world is evolving and how often we are told to write something on the computer. In school, I believe it is the only form of teaching a child how to type properly, which is another reason why teachers should implement computer use in their lessons.
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