Class Reflection

Look back to your early discussion board posts, especially your rationale on integrating technology. How has your thinking evolved? 

     Looking back on my earlier discussions, my thinking on integrating technology into the classroom has greatly involved.  I have gone from thinking that technology is simply using computers to do word processing, PowerPoint, Excel, and videos in the classroom with students and not going much further than that. Now, after reading chapters, watching YouTube videos, creating a WebQuest, as well as posting to a blog and discussion board, I learned that there are many more useful tools for teachers to use in the classroom. Web 2.0 and 3.0 have created many useful free resources that can take the place of or enhance the simples tools that I had listed earlier.

Do you have a favorite digital or Web-based tool that you learned about this term?

     I personally have found a liking for the online presentation creator Prezi (www.prezi.com). It is a unique presentation software that allows for customization of presentation unlike any other platform.  If you have not had the time to play around with it, please make the time.  It makes presentations FUN not only for the viewer but for the creator as well. I will be using this tool often as I start creating presentations for classes.

What would be your statement to educators, parents, and leaders regarding the integration of technology in education?

     Technology is an essential part of everyday life when a student finishes school and makes it out in the real world. It simply does not matter what your student's, son's, daughter's, teammate's, or acquaintances choose to do with their lives, technology will most certainly be part of it. It is because of this simple fact, we must do our due diligence to expose at much technology to today's youth as soon as possible. We need to reassess the emphasis that we put on technology in the everyday classroom and the impact that technology will make on the everyday life of tomorrow's future leaders.

What does it mean to "provide equal access to the digital world"?

     Equal access is inherently unequal. No two students in today's classroom are the same and that includes access to the digital world. With today's classrooms getting more and more technologically advanced, we sometimes forget that some of our students do not have the same computer or internet capabilities at home. We need to be mindful when assigning tasks for students to complete on computers when they are not in our classes. We need to be able to allow students, no matter their background, to have equal opportunity to succeed.
     This could be done through many ways. For the students who have a computer at home with an internet connection, we can have students complete their work with Web 2.0 tools online so that they can access them online at home and at school.  For those students, who do not have internet access at home, we need to be able to provide them the same opportunity to do the same assignment which could mean reserving laptops or computers from the school library so that a student can complete the assignment during his or her lunch or study hall.
     Other options are for students to work as teams so that they are always paired up with someone who has technological capabilities when they are at home and the two of them can divide the work so that one can work from home and the other can work while in the classroom. The important thing is that students, no matter their background, have an equal opportunity to complete a technological assignment to their fullest ability.
     Many schools, when they face the problem of providing equal access, utilize their school library and their librarians. The librarians are highly trained in the technology being used in our classrooms and are an excellent resources for our students who may be having difficulty finishing an assignment or who are not able to finish in the normal time period due to learning disabilities. In order for us to provide equal access, we must be able to ensure everyone has a reasonable amount of time to complete all assigned works.
     Equal access will never be fully accomplished but we as educators must find creative and unique ways for our students to learn the necessary technology before they graduate in order to provide them with an adequate education.

Wordle

The Truth About PowerPoint

Technology Integration in Schools

            Today’s student is a student in a very technological society. Students are growing up surrounded by social media, smart cell phones, and laptops no bigger than a small book. Is it no wonder why students are bored in class by the standard use of chalkboards and overhead projectors? Today’s student is one that is visual, one that wants to see what the lesson is talking about and not just read it. Today’s student is certainly not from the time of our parents. Today’s student could be today’s teacher when it comes to the latest technology. This is why it is imperative for teachers to integrate the use of technology into their normal classroom routine.

            It is often been a battle to keep student's attention is class throughout the entire 40 to 100 minute class periods. Does that surprise anyone? That bored student can pull out their cell phone, download a movie, and be watching the latest episode of Glee before the teacher can even finish writing a thought down on the chalkboard.  Wouldn’t you have done that if you could of gone back to when you were in their seats? In order for teachers to keep a student focused, today’s teachers need to employ numerous techniques to “teach” today’s youth. We have shifted away from the days where a student simply sits in class and copies notes word for word from the chalkboard. Today’s student looks for a PowerPoint presentation with video, sound bites, and images.

            Unfortunately, many teachers are afraid to use some of the newer, and sometimes older, technology for fear of it not working or failing on them. Teachers in today’s world need to be able to incorporate even the simplest of technology in classrooms across the globe so that those students are not only learning about the subject at hand but that of the technology that is being used so that they can one day use that technology in their future careers.

            With the numerous diverse learners in today's classrooms, this technology is imperative. You have to have a way to provide more support to those students who need it while not being in the classroom or allow students who are easy learners to be able to dive deeper into the subject.  This can be accomplished through either a powerpoint posted online or comprehension exams that a student can take at home from their own computer.

            The technology available for today’s teachers use is endless compared to that of 20 years ago. Teachers collectively need to be cognizant of the fact that their students are some of the most technological that there have ever been and that they themselves (teachers) need to be able to keep up with the times. Integration of technology into today’s classrooms is no longer an option; it is a necessity! If the students are learning about it, then we as teachers must follow suit!