I have just read my fellow blogger, Cathie’s article “Technology in the classroom is not a new idea.” This blog caught my attention as she talks about a youtube clip that reflects upon how once upon a time film through a projector was this great new resource for a classroom that would enhance students learning as it provides opportunities to stimulate and motivate your child. Just like the critics raved about film, technology such as computers, podcasts and blogs have the same advantages. This shows that technology is not a new thing in our classroom, it is nothing to be feared of, we just need to have a bit of practice and see what works best for our student’s and use it appropriately because the opportunities are endless.
In this short clip ‘Teaching technology in the classroom,’ it is made evident just how rapidly our world is advancing. The clip illustrates how times have changed, how teaching has changed, as life demands different skills these days, more technology related skills. Our students live in an ever-changing world where they have instant access to information, they have new, more exciting ways to express themselves and it is our job as teacher’s to allow them to explore these new technologies. The big question this film clip raises is are we teaching them what this world demands of them? The main point of this clip is to point out the necessity of incorporating technology into our classrooms, students use these technologies at home, they will need them in future jobs so why don’t we take advantage of them and use the great software to bring our classrooms to life. Download Video: Posted by englishmistress at TeacherTube.com.
“It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, concept mapping can greatly enrich teacher and student efforts to communicate in our predominantly text-based world.”(Anderson-Inman, Horney, Knox-Quinn, Corrigan & Ditson, 1996). In the article Computer-based study strategies, concept mapping is portrayed as a brilliant source for students and teachers to make their knowledge and understanding of a topic explicit. Computer-based concept mapping is growing in popularity in classrooms as it allows students to correct mistakes and change their minds without wrecking their final work with messy erasing.
By creating a concept map on the computer it encourages students to proof-read their work by correcting errors and making alterations. Concept mapping is a great way to encourage visual expression from students, and helps those students who learn best through visual means. Computer-based concept mapping provides students with an environment for visual thinking that has “great potential for enhancing reading, writing and studying.” (Anderson-Inman, Horney, Knox-Quinn, Corrigan & Ditson, 1996).
Cathie’s blog ‘ICT for Girls’ has lead me to read an interesting article form the Queensland Government on involving girls with ICT. The Girls and ICT Strategy 2005-2008 aims to get girls more interested in ICT and to boost the number of women entering ICT related careers, to create gender equity in the occupation. Even though males need to be introduced to ICT as well, this strategy aims at capturing the interest of girls to build their confidence through exploring new technologies.
The ICT industry is predominately male orientated, and this is why the Queensland Government is targeted females with their ICT strategy. I believe males and females should be given the same opportunities, they both need to be able to explore new technologies that enable them to express themselves in fun and interesting ways and to develop competence in using these technologies. As this strategy implies it is the females that need a bit more encouraging to explore new technologies and it is anticipated that this interest in creative technology will be a life-long journey. The following youtube clip is a great clip showing just what students are capable of once the world of technology is opened up for them. It just proves that technology can express emotions in a way pen and paper just cant do. It’s amazing to think a year one class can create this. As a teacher in training I believe it is our job to show our students that when technology is concerned, the sky is their limit.
This youtube clip talks about why students are interested in games and what educational benefits they have for our students. The student’s claim that what first draws them to a game is the graphics, and level of fun. As the clip goes on it explains that games that may not necessarily be classified as ‘educational’ art in fact allowing our students to gain vital skills for school. For instance by playing a game student’s learn to follow instructions and work in sequential order, which they need to be able to do in the classroom when they are given instructions. The students said that they do not like games with too many rules as they like to discover things as they go along without being told exactly what to do. Also a aspect of some games are that they encourage teamwork. Students need to be able to work in groups to succeed in life, it also allows them to have more confidence when working with a partner.
The brilliance of some of these games are that they ensure students work in pairs or groups and if they don’t they won’t be able to finish, a brilliant strategy to teach about team work. Games are a great source for our students and they play these all the time at home, so during school we could introduce games specifically designed to help with school topics but at the same time we need to undertake this information to ensure we get a game our students will enjoy playing, to fully utilise all the benefits of gaming.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPbiD7SHTCU
Marc Prensky’s article “But the screen is too small..” discusses the future of educational technology as an n-Gage mobile phone/gaming platform. The device can can connect to over one billion others, it acts like a mini version of the computer. It allows students to connect to the internet, play videos and has a new thumb keyboard but most importantly it has upgradeable external microprocessors and hardrives.
This will allow students to receive and submit homework electronically, therefore being more environmentally friendly that the traditional pen and paper worksheets. The only downfall of this device is its cost. Prensky predicts that it will cost around $100 per device, but he also predicts that these devices will already have a home in our students pockets soon enough whether they are used in the classroom or not.
As Marc prensky claims in his article Educational Leadership children being born into this technologically advanced world are becoming known as Digital Natives. They are called this as they are being brought up around technology that didn’t exist when we were younger so they therefore have a better concept of it.
As Cathie mentioned in her article it is imperative for teachers to learn about the technologies students use nearly everyday with ease. Using technology in the classroom is a great way to gain students interest but it is also important that we utilise these new technologies such as mp3 players and mobile phones as it is what they children are faced with outside of the school grounds, and sadly in this technologically driven world those who do not have a basic understanding of simple technology skills are considered obsolete.
This article has made me realize what an important role technology has in the classroom, as Prensky states “from computers to calculators to MP3 players to camera phones, these tools are like extensions of their brains.” Therefore what benefit does it give our students if we continue to ignore these rapidly advancing technologies that they are faced with at home and in the community? A Teacher is meant to teach skills that will help her students succeed in life, and without technological skills how far will our students go?
According to Mei-Yu Lu in Evaluating and selecting online magazines for children the world wide web has enabled readers to have immediate access to great quantities of information. Many businesses use the internet as a medium to promote their products, one of these products are children’s educational magazines. Children’s magazines, also known as e-zines, are a great resource for teachers. There are many factors that determine the popularity of children’s e-zines such as cost,accessability, content and interactivity and reader participation. The great thing about an e-zine is that the authors can constantly update the information so that students have access to the most current information all the time.
The major reasons for choosing an e-zine are the content, as a good e-zine will allow students to access hyperlinks so as they can read it how they want. Moreover a major reason to choose an e-zine is for its reader participation because students will engage more with a e-zine that allows them to write to the author, and publish their own work rather than with one that they just have to read. In my opinion an e-zine should have accurate content and an easy to read, attractive layout for students to learn best. An e-zine has a great impact in the classroom as it allows students to be creative in how they read rather than reading a printed magazine wich presents information in a linear fashion.
In Dr. Idit Harel’s article ‘Skill’s for the Millennium’ she talks about the learning skills students need to succeed in this technology driven world. The invaluable skills of reading writing, and ‘Rithmetic are no longer all a child needs to know in this day and age, as the article discusses there are three new learning skills students need to adapt. These are Exploring, Expressing and Exchanging idea’s using new digital media.
The first of the three X’s exploring, utilises a child’s natural passion for discovery. The best kind of learning for a child is when they have discovered something for themselves, a great source of this learning is the internet. Students can use the internet in a controlled environment to constantly discover new things. The internet secondly allows student’s to Express idea’s through the vast sources it provides. For a student to successfully express their own idea’s they need to be able to create new and exciting ways to voice their opinions such as creating a podcast.
Lastly the internet allows students to utilise websites that allow them to create their own page and leave postings for others to read. It is important for students to exchange their idea’s as it enhances their communication skills and improves their teamwork abilities. Exchanging idea’s enables student’s to become active learner’s and opens up new learning opportunities for them. Basically the internet opens up a whole new world to students, which enables them to become active participants in their own learning.
After creating my first podcast a week ago, I got to experience that feeling of satisfaction due to what I had achieved. I then became intrigued as, if a podcast made me feel proud, what could it bring to my classroom? After reading the journal article How to use Podcasts at your school I have learnt that as an educator it allows me to record my lessons, assemblies and board meetings for students and parents to listen to as they please.
More importantly for my students it could open a whole new world for them to express themselves. Podcasts allow student’s to record their voices and add music to make it more fun to listen to, and reflect on their learning. After reading this article I am beginning to wonder whether the 21st century podcast will replace the frightening oral speech? After all it would still be expressing student’s feelings and ability to communicate through language, just without the threat of thirty staring eyes. It would also give all student’s an equal opportunity as those who are confident public speakers won’t have such an advantage over those who tend to be more shy, as they won’t be standing in front of a group of people. In this advancing technological world will the podcast be the new oral speech with a creative twist?
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