I believe that technology can be a great tool for many classrooms, especially at the elementary school level. There are many great tools, especially on the Internet for students to use. Like webquests that tie into broader class projects. Since much of students' work in elementary school is done at school, using technology for school work will not be a problem. It will not be a problem even for students who do not have access to it at home, because they will have access at school.
Technology in elementary classrooms will also be an excellent way to keep students attention. Especially for subjects where students are not naturally motivated. Since they will be learning about and using new technology as well as doing the subject they dislike, they will be more motivated.
For me personally as a learner, technology has been a great motivator. For my Educ 301 and 302 classes, instead of writing papers we created multimedia assignments. One that stands out in my mind was using the tool Wordle. We surveyed out friends and family about what made a good teacher. Then we put out results into Wordle and could easily see the results. Normally I might not be very excited about surveying my friends and then compiling the results, but the use of technology motivated me and made it more exciting.
Not only will I look for new technology tools to include in my lessons to make them more accessible and fun for students, but I will also use technology with my students, parents and guardians. Following NETS*T 3.C standard, I will use a website to post about what is going on it the classroom and post students' work as well as list my email for parents and guardians to email me questions.
In my classroom, I will always look for new ways to connect to parents, the community and students, as well as for the students to connect to the material. I will use technology as one way to build community in my classroom. Like NETS*T 5.B. says, I will help develop students technology skills. I feel that this is an important and attainable standard. This is even more important for students who do not have technology at home. I will teach them about different technology that will be beneficial for them in future schooling and jobs.
To make sure that I am teaching the students to the best of my ability, I need to stay up to date with current technology, like NETS*T 5.C says. If I do not, then I don't know if there are resources out there that would dramatically increase a students learning. I would not be being the best teacher to the children that I could be.
I believe that technology is a great tool for classrooms and is a valuable subject to teach our students. It allows us to reach more students, (and parents/guardians) as well as to help prepare the students for their future with technology.
Right on, Molly.
ReplyDeleteI think that technology is an excellent motivator for many kids. I agree with you that webquests can be a great tool to have in your teacher toolbox to engage your learners and integrate several subject areas into one comprehensive environment. Indeed, this medium is a great way to level the playing field and give every student access to the same resources and learning opportunities while they're at school.
In addition to student use, I think teachers need to be proficient enough in their own technology skills to be able to communicate with parents using online media, such as blogs or Wikis.
It'll be interesting to see how you the utilization of technology plays out in your future classroom. :)
-Ashley
Molly,
ReplyDeleteI liked when you said, “Technology in elementary classrooms will also be an excellent way to keep students’ attention.” This is very true, although I did not think of it in this way! I also like how you said you would make sure to keep up to speed on the new technology that is developing because as teachers, we all have to try and stay current and know what the new technology is. I was wondering if you have used any technology in any of the classrooms you have mentored in yet? Or do you know the ones your teachers used and if you would use those? I know you mentioned the Wordle but that was for a class you took at Western. I was also wondering what grade you were thinking of teaching and if the NETS*T standards were achievable? Do you feel you could accommodate those standards into your teaching, and how you would accomplish that? You could possibly even use Wordle as a way to teach spelling.