In-service: Teaching Teachers about Technology

Technology is something that most people need to study in order to use . As computers and other programs and technology are becoming more and more present in the classrooms, teachers need to know how to use it and get the most out of it. In-services and classes designed specifically for teachers are an important step in introducing more technology into the classroom.

Tomorrow, our learning community is going to a local public school to show teachers how we have used technology this semester. I think this is a great way to sum up our semester while helping local teachers feel more comfortable using technology. Each group of students is armed with a poster board, how to hand outs and the specific knowledge on one aspect of technology. Granted, I am a little nervous but very excited to share my knowledge with others.

Tussling with Technology

Nothing can be more wonderful and more frustrating than technology. Just ask any teacher or any student and they will tell you their success as well as their horror stories. As a teacher or future teacher, you must be prepared for the temper tantrum that technology can throw you at any given time and know that sometimes there is nothing you can do to get it to work.

This semester in my learning community our class learned about the various types of technology that can be used in the classroom. This class has been eye opening and showed me that there are other things we can use besides power point and word. These technologies ranged from audio technology and podcasting to assistive technology which includes computers controlled by eye movement and large button key boards. The wonderful thing about these different technologies is that they can really help a student get the most out of their education. If a student has a visual disability, a keyboard with bigger buttons or a program that reads text to them can help them achieve their goals and struggle less in school.

What is frustrating about these technologies is their inability to consistently work. You could be using it perfectly one day and then the next day it won’t even turn on. As a teacher or future teacher you must have a backup plan. If you know a specific technology loses its charge easily, bring a charger or spare batteries with you. Also having the instruction manual nearby could prove useful if there isn’t anyone around from IT. If all else fails, there must be something else you can give to your student to continue the lesson. Just because technology decides not to work doesn’t mean nothing can be accomplished in class that day.

  

IPads in the Classroom

In the article Touch, Type and Transform: Ipads in the Social Studies Classroom the authors, Ilene R. Berson, Michael J. Berson and Meghan McGlinn Manfra discussed the benefits and cautions of using Ipads in the classroom. I agree with many of their points and found this article interesting and helpful to a future teacher.

In this article the readers learned about Ms. Wei’s social studies class. This Florida teacher approached teaching her diverse class in a unique way using new technology, the IPad. There were two Haitian girls in her classroom that often isolated themselves from the other students. By teaching a Caribbean geography lesson and making good use of a few apps Ms. Wei managed to include these girls and make them feel more comfortable in the classroom. I think this is a great use to the IPad. Collaborative work always brings students together and these girls were able to teach their classmates a little bit about their lives in Haiti. As a future social studies teacher, I think I would definitely try this out in my classroom.

The article also went over many advantages the IPad has over other tablets and mobile devices. For example, the screen is bigger than most devices and has a special widescreen display which is great for sharing one tablet in a group. Also the IPad can store textbooks and other documents and videos. It also has a prolonged battery life ideal for taking this device where ever the class goes. There is a small downside however. These computers are expensive and not all schools have them. Also, teachers and staff need to be trained how to use them. I think this is especially important because if a teacher doesn’t know how to use this technology properly, it would be wasted in the class. It is important for a teacher to plan out the lesson in advance and test out all the media and apps that he or she plans to use with the students. This is to ensure that they are appropriate and will help in the learning process.

If these technologies are used correctly, students will enjoy learning much more and get more out of their daily lessons. This device could also help students with special needs communicate. The possibilities are endless and this is an exciting thought for a future teacher.

Observation 3

Now that I have completed my observation hours I can reflect on my overall experience in PS 48 this semester. I think my time at the school was ultimately positive and I have learned so much from my experience there. I have met many dedicated teachers and staff members who I strive to follow.

As the teachers began to get to know me more, they began giving me more responsibility in the classroom. They still allowed me to sit in on planning sessions as well as interact with the students during their lessons. On one of the days that I was there during math, the student’s objective was to review how to multiply double digit numbers. I liked how the teachers reviewed the steps in the process with the entire class then broke them into groups based on their skill level. Each group had a teacher, student teacher or para to give the students more individualized attention. Mrs. Whalen gave me my own group to work with consisting of three boys and one girl. Their task was to complete a 5 question worksheet and my first task was to make sure they stayed focused and to help them if they had questions. I was a little apprehensive because math was always my weakest subject, but I was confident in my multiplication skills and was able to help walk the students through it. It was challenging to keep the boys on task. They kept talking to each other or to their friends in other groups. I kept reminding them to keep working and eventually their worksheets were completed. Once the sheet was finished by all the students in the group it was my job to review it with them breaking each step down on the small dry erase board. To keep the students focused I asked one student to read the question, another to solve the first step and then another to finish the problem. I called on the students in my group randomly and reminded them not to call out. One suggestion I would have for this lesson was the use of the smart board. I think it would be fun for the students to review the worksheet and write the answers on the smart board instead of the teacher writing down the steps on the small dry erase boards.

In this 4^th grade classroom, the teachers use the smart board to project reading passages. I haven’t really seen the smart board used for any other lesson besides reading and writing. I think it would be nice for the students to use it for science or social studies.

            I really enjoyed my time at PS48 and I was sad to leave. In just a few short weeks you really become attached to the students and teachers. I was very lucky to be in such a warm and safe learning environment and I am looking forward to having my own classroom one day.

Reflection on Technology News and Education: Video Games and Student Learning

Today in class, we watched a TED Talk video about the effects of video games on today's children. There have been many concerns by educators and parents alike that video games are ruining today's youth, causing ADD, ADHD and a higher increase in violence. The video addressed these concerns as well demonstrated the good effects games could have. I found this presentation fascinating and think video games can be a good way to supplement classroom learning, but I do feel that the use of games should be monitored and steps should be taken to ensure that the games are educational and used in a correct and appropriate way.

In the presentation, the speaker made a point to show all the benefits of using video games. He stated that students who played video games learned important life skills such as multitasking. In a game such as World of Warcraft the player must challenge him or herself to complete tasks while talking to other players via headset, typing commands and dealing with parental interruptions.  Some argue that games that require this level of multitasking causes children to not focus in the "real world". The reason for this is that the real world seems boring to these kids. While I feel that this is true, I do agree that games like this can be created for classroom use. The speaker noted a study where games were used in a classroom to teach reading and math skills. The students made great progress and advanced to a higher level of reading and math in a span of 18 weeks. Also, these students felt learning was fun. I think that if a game is created specifically to teach reading and math it would be helpful for students. However, I feel that these games should be designed by teachers and other educators and should only be used maybe once or twice a week. There are many benefits from using these games like learning to work together, multitasking and having fun while reinforcing concepts but if they are used daily, students could be losing much more. They could be losing valuable skills such as listening, talking to each other and if they move to another school where games are not used, they could become bored and dislike traditional learning.

Another negative thing I feel that comes from video games and technology in general is the lack of human contact and social skills. People could be locked alone in a room on the web or playing a game for hours without talking to anyone. Because everything entertaining from movies to games to friends is right there at your fingertips there is a decrease in drive to join clubs or organizations to meet people when you could do this online or in a game chat room.

The speaker closed his presentation with saying the kids are alright. This is true only if adults are careful to provide their children with a well balanced education that includes everything from books to educational toys to video games.

Technology Field Trip Reflection

           On March 29^th our class took a field trip to a special needs school. This trip was designed to show us practical applications of technology in the classroom. This was a great experience for me as it showed me the many different ways technology can be implemented in the classroom. I learned so much from this visit and it has given me ideas for using different technologies to accommodate needs in my future classroom.

            The school that we visited was designed specifically for students who had severe disabilities. Each classroom was different and had innovative technology to help each student learn and reach their fullest potential. In the first classroom we went to, the majority of the students were in wheel chairs. The classroom was large so that the students could be moved around easily and could comfortably sit at the table with their peers. The head teacher in the classroom told us a little about working in a special education environment like this school and she began to show us all the technology they used. Something that I found amazing was the computer one boy used to communicate. Because this boy was wheelchair bound and could not speak, the computer would read his eye movements and he could spell out words and sentences by using his eyes. It was fascinating to watch him use this device to talk to us. His teachers even informed us that he wrote raps and songs by using this computer. The only downside was the computer lost its charge quickly and had to be plugged in.

            Another piece of technology that I found interesting was the Dynavox. This is a computer like communication device that helped some of the students communicate. The head teacher showed us how it worked and explained that students selected pictures that would make up sentences to tell their caretakers and teachers what they wanted or needed. A positive thing about this machine was that it was sturdy and could survive a fall. The teacher explained that sometimes the students knocked the boxes off the desk and sometimes teachers even drop them. Accidents do happen, and it is a good thing that these technologies can survive them. These machines are very expensive to purchase but they are worth it if students can use them to communicate. The classroom is also equipped with a few computers and a smart board. When we walked into the class, they were having their art lesson. On the smart board was their assignment. The students were enjoying their lesson and were eager to show us their art work.

These students were so friendly and so eager to talk to us or show us their work and everyone in the classroom was so welcoming. I enjoyed my time at this school and I liked seeing the different technology used. In my future classroom I know that I could use technology like the Dynavox if a student has a speech disability. It is a great idea for education students to go into classrooms and learn about these technologies available. The firsthand experience is so important because we get insight on what works in a classroom and what are the positives and negatives to each piece of equipment.