Read: Chapter 13 in the Intro to Teaching Book
Watch Integrating Technology into Instruction on the included text DVD and respond to the questions that follow the DVD.
Remember that next Monday we will meet for our final class. Use the pretest you took at the beginning of the semester to study for the final exam.
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I believe that every time a teacher uses technology in the classroom the children enjoy it. Children like technology and get very excited about using it. In the first assignment the children made a graph using a laptop and in the second the teacher used PowerPoint to give notes. To me these lessons weren’t outstanding lessons. Technology has so many great things you can do with it and just making a chart or graph out of a text book isn’t using it to the fullest. I like PowerPoint for giving notes because I feel teachers have more time to talk about their thoughts and it keeps them on track. All together I don’t feel the learning benefits to cost for these lessons. A laptop for every student is a very costly thing and all the children did was made a chart. They could have done that on a piece of paper. I do feel it’s important as a teacher to use technology because children need to experience it and understand it because let’s face it; it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteThe technology was very essential to reaching the teachers learning objectives. The technology was needed for the children to be able to collect thier data in a neat fation and make graphs. Also with the powerpoint that the teacher uses it gives the students visuals and the teacher an outline to teach with. So that they can fully and effectively cover the topic. The technology was very effective with getting through to the children. It makes it fun and exciting for the children to use the technology. WIth all of these points in place i believe that they learning benefits of the technology justify its coast.
ReplyDeleteI believe the teacher's learning objectives were meet through using the technology. I believe Powerpoint is very helpful when presenting notes to students. So many things can be incorporated into the PowerPoint which makes using the program very beneficial to students. In the first lesson, the teacher used the PowerPoint to have her students do graphing. I think that it is good to have students work with graphs on the computer because it makes it more interesting for them rather than just simply graphing it on paper. I believe that both teachers used the technology effectivly. The both used the computers to further help their students to meet their objectives. I do believe though, that since there are so many different things that can be done with technology, the teachers could have done a lot more creative projects. I do believe it is worth the cost. These two projects seemed fairly simple but there are many other things that can be done with the technology so future uses will definatly pay off the cost of the technology. Essentially, students enjoy using technology so they learn a lot more when they are able to use it. The increased learning abilities and challenges that are available to students are definatly worth it to promote students' growth.
ReplyDeleteFor reaching a teacher's learning objectives, technology is not essential, but it is definitely very helpful. Using technology gets the students interested in the matter that is being presented to them. Instead of just using paper and pencil or the chalkboard, they are presented lessons in different ways and that keeps students interested. The technology in this clip was used well when each student had their own laptop. I think the students were probably very excited to be able to do that, as they probably do not all have laptops at home. PowerPoint presentations are also effective when presenting notes instead of just using an overhead, because you can add pictures and sounds. The learning benefits of using technology definitely justify it's cost. There should not be a price on the education of children. If they are learning better and enjoying school more, price should not be much of a problem.
ReplyDeleteTechnology isn't essential for reaching learning objectives. However, it helps with keeping the students interested and involves them more during the lesson. In the first classroom students learned basic computer programs and skills while learning about their genetics. When teachers use powerpoints in higher grades this helps students stay focused on the key points of the lecture or discussion. Students can write down the key points while adding more in depth notes while listening to the teacher. In both situationgs the technology seemed effective. The important thing is that neither teacher made the technology the only source of knowledge for their lessons. Instead they used them as aides. Students learned from what the teacher was discussing and were then able to elaborate more on that topic while using technology. When students show a greater understanding of subjects being taught with the use of technology then the cost is justifiable. But when technology is the only way students are learning then we come upon a problem. For example; at the high school I graduated from the math department relied heavily on laptops. There was a program that enabled students to "teach" themselves the material being covered. Some teachers used this technology and didn't do much else to elaborate more and make sure that students understood what was being taught. As a result, there weren't many benefits from the technology. Math scores decreased and many students did poorly in their math classes. So in cases like that, the cost isn't justifiable. It all depends on what extent the technology is being used and how the students react to it.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I'm probably the only 21 year old in America that isn't a fan of technology. I'd much rather take a test or do homework on a piece of paper with pencil rather than using a computer. However, technology does make things easier and quicker. We see that we aren't forced to use technology in the classroom, however I feel as if kids enjoy doing things that involve technology. Today kids have personal gaming systems and are on the computers, so they enjoy things that use technology. In the DVD, we saw that the students could use a laptop and I'm sure they loved it. I think that it's a good investment for a school to purchase laptops and allow students to engage in technology since they enjoy it. As teacher's, we are going to want to make things as easy as possible. So by using different software and tools that come with technology, you can do lessons, take attendance, and many other things on a computer. Children would much rather learn from something that is digital and colorful off of a computer screen rather than seeing information on a chalkboard. So even though I'm not a huge fan of technological devices, they do make things easier and more interesting and I feel that technology is necessary in education.
ReplyDeleteThe technology was essential by aiding the teachers in teaching the students about the material. Using the technology allowed the students to be hands on and learn in a different way other than just lecturing. The technology was very effectively used. Both teachers used different kinds of technology and both ways interacted with the students. Yes, the learning benefits did justify the cost. Pure lecturing can become boring to students, but by introducing technology it can make it interesting and different to the students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Evan, that I too would rather take a regular old pencil and paper test or anything rather than using technology. I do not think technology was essential, but it did help the teacher out. The students were able to be taught in a different way than most, which are just lectured. Technology can make things faster, which results in more time to teach other material in the day. I think the the technology was used effectively. So the learning benefits were better and it helped justify the costs. Technology helps make things more interesting. Both of the teachers used it and showed positive sides of technology. So although I am not the biggest fan of technology, I too will use it in my classroom because I will not take that from my students when it may help them so much.
ReplyDeleteThe use of technology in the classroom breaks up a lot of the monotony. Just sitting and reading all day becomes very mundane. Using powerpoints or laptops, such as the teachers in the video, created a different environment for the students. I believe that the students benefit from learning through technology. They are able to have more visual, hands on learning. Plus, the students we teach, will grow up in a world surrounded by technology. The teachers in the video used the technology in an effective manner. The teacher using the powerpoint used it as an outline for what she was going to talk about and included pictures. It keeps the students on task, and as she said, allows the teacher to breathe a little. The teacher that had her students create bar graphs on their laptops was also very effective. The students had a more hands on approach, and were able to visually see their results. By working with "Word" and "Excel," they are going to be able to move forward with those programs in the future. As far as the cost, and whether technology is worth it... I feel that the result greatly outranks the cost. Each student having a laptop, might be a little extreme, mainly because there are some schools that do not have any computers at all. The spending should be spread out more evenly throughout the country. However, technology is not going anywhere, so students should acquire the skills to use it while they can! The more we spend preparing our students for the real world, the better equipped the real world will be when they are out in it.
ReplyDeleteI tend to favor technology in my teaching. I feel that power points and smartboards help students stay focused during a lesson. They have a reason to look up from their desks and pay attention to the front of the room. I feel that technology is great as an aide. It should not be the only source of knowledge for the students. We receive and pay for textbooks for a reason. Using both I feel is a smooth and effective way of teaching. I loved working at Riley Elementary this semester because the used technology for a lot of things. Our attendance was taken electronically and the lunch menu and orders were taken electronically. It made mornings run so smooth. Our teacher wasnt busy trying to write things down all the time as the students were coming up to the desk. Watching the students on the DVD play with the lap tops shows how much students love learning and using technology. I feel that students should learn about technology and teachers should learn and use it in their classrooms. Technology is a great aide in my opinion and I do plan to use it with my students.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think technology was essential for reaching learning objectives, in both classrooms. However, it did enhance both lessons. With the fifth grade classroom it did cut down on time since students didn’t need art supplies to create a colorful graph. Utilizing World and Excel allowed it to be completed at the click of a button. Technology was best used in the 5th grade classroom with each student having a laptop to use. Children are tactile learners and the laptops made the lesson very engaging and quite possibly made the students feel special in the fifth grade classroom. I also think the world history teacher’s lesson was effective since she was doing direct instruction and the students weren’t doing an activity. I think the cost of technology used in the fifth grade room was justified. An average lesson was greatly enhanced and so much more hands-on than using pen and paper. Although the visual aids in the world history class were nice, students could have opened their textbooks to see photos, so I don’t think the lesson reached its potential.
ReplyDeleteWhile using the technology in each of the lessons we saw definitely helpful I would not go so far as to say it was essential to meeting the objectives. The children could have made their tables with a pencil and paper and the teacher could have taught her lesson by bringing in pictures to pass around and writing her points on the board. However, I can't argue with the fact that the use of technology made both lessons much easier to teach (especially the second one). I believe that technology was used effectively. Perhaps to take the first lesson to another level the student could have been asked to resize and print the tables they made, but overall I think both teachers used the technology to the fullest. As far as if the learning benefits justify the cost, I have mixed feelings. Both lessons could have been taught well without the use of computers, which could have saved a lot of money to be used for other things such as field trips and books. However, in today's times it is rare that anyone will find a job in which they are not required to have some computer literacy. SO while the students in the first classroom could have made their tables with a pencil and paper, the fact that they know how to make a table on a computer is a skill that will probably come in handy someday, meaning that not only did they learn about the science topic they were discussing but also a good life skill in the use of popular technology.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is a huge part in everyday life, so withot association with technology children can suffer. Bringing technology to the class not only makes lessons flashier,which tends to hold a students attention, it also helps a lesson be presented more smoothly. Laptops and powerpoint were the ways the two teachers brought technology to the class. Each way allowed the students to learn in a different way, and that is what I belief is the key. Weather it is a lecture, powerpoint, reading assignment, or use of a laptop there should be a varity a ways the learning objective should be presented. No two students learn the same so presenting lessons in multiple ways helps all. Learning with the aid of technology helps a student get a better perspective of the mterial being taught as well perpare them to be able to use technology in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that technology is essential for a classroom, but it has become essential in the real world. I think that it is important for children to learn how to use different equipment. I also think it's important for them to get this knowledge through school, because some of the student's families may not be able to afford it. It seems as though children are more interested in learning when they get to do it in a new and different way. Powerpoint, for example, is a very good way to give a presentation clearly and creatively. It seems as though students love to use computer technology. It gets them excited to do their projects or homework. Like I said before technology is not essential in a classroom, but useful. When your students are released into the real world; they will come face to face with technology. I think that it is smart to start using different technology at an early age.
ReplyDeleteI do not feel that technology is essential in meeting the objectives of the classsroom goals. For a very long time through out human history the technology that we are accesable to has not even existed, and the goals of reaching students have still been met through means of more elaboration and practice. Don't get me wrong I do not advocate against technology in the classroom, I just feel sometimes it is used as a crutch for teachers who do not want to put in the work to establish more certain means of reaching their students. For example; powerpoint is an excellent way of expressing the point at hand, but it is only useful if the time saved is utilized to give the teacher a comparative advantage of having more time to impliment new intriging ways of increasing their students ability of cognition. Though everday technology becomes a more increasingly large part of our lives, so the implimentation of it assures student exposure and encourage comprehension of the technologies capacity. Technology is not going anywhere, it is just too bad that the technological revolution was not embraced for the strides it could make in inteligene rather than a social capacitator. We need to incoprorate technology in a way that enhnces our learning experiences, and not let it be used to dumb down our knowledge.
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