Originally, I told myself I would keep up with this blog once class was over. I didn't (obviously), but now I am in another class that requires a blog, so here we go...
My thoughts on the use of technology in the classroom...
As a student in middle and high school, I had experience with computers and smart boards, but these weren't used on a daily basis. We usually had technical difficulties with the laptops, and we were always having to reorient the smart board. These items were used as tools on occasion or as a way to project notes, but that was the extent of it. Aside from typing papers, we didn't do much with technology outside of the classroom.
Last semester, I was exposed for the first time to technology in the classroom from the teacher's perspective. The teacher I worked with once a week for my field experience used the smart board for every lesson. He also used a device with the students that let them log in and enter their answers to the daily focus questions. The students used the keypads at their desks, and the information they entered was calculated and displayed on the screen in the form of a graph so he could quickly see how many students answered each question correctly or how many students had done their homework the night before. In addition to using technology during class, he also utilized the internet as a tool for communication with parents. He had a website for students and parents with a homework calendar, information on class policies and events, and additional math challenge problems for families to work on together. He also communicated with parents primarily by email. He used the internet to his advantage in terms of professional development as well, and when I needed to search for lesson ideas, he introduced me to the members section of the NCTM website where I found valuable resources.
This experience gave me a taste of just how valuable technology in the classroom can be when it is used well. I believe technology should never be used for its own sake but only when it aids the sutdents in the learning process. It should be the mean by which student and teachers achieve their goals; it should never be the goal in and of itself.
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2 comments:
I can certainly relate to your attempts and intention to keep blogging! It sounds like you had an excellent experience with the teacher and using technology in the classroom. And we do learn how to use student response systems in the classroom in EDUC 405. JS
Great post! I can relate to my field experience teacher last semester about using technologies in the classroom as well. Technology is a great source for the student's learning process.
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