One Million Different Ways!
April 11, 2008Today we will be talking about an assortmant of ways to insert technology in the classroom. This is different than just the web applications we have already talked about, we’re talking programs and machines (fun, fun!). This slideshow that we have found on Business Week has 11 pieces of technology that can be used in the classroom. We think they are pretty neat. We’d like for you to browse them and pick one that you are interested in and start talking about it! Hopefully, once people pick the same ones we can start generating some great conversation about why we all liked it. Also, feel free to talk about ones you thought were a joke!
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/09/classroom/source/1.htm
-Kristin
After browsing through the different options, I found an interest in the digital whiteboard. Although I have never used one, my two cousins (middle and elementary school age) who both have learning disabilities, had nothing but positive things to say about the one that is used in their classrooms. It was nice to hear their excitement about school because for so long, they dreaded going because they were always mainstreamed. Now, the teachers can tailor to their needs and make learning possible. They were actually the first ones who introduced me to the smart boards. As a teacher explains, (in the caption near the photo) “I could virtually modify my teaching such that I could teach in a manner that best fit my individual students’ learning styles,” which is something that is much needed in many schools today! I also found another an article on a website (see below) that recalls a teacher’s use of a smart board and the benefits it can bring to a learning environment. He states, “The digital whiteboard was novel and created enthusiasm for learning.” Even though this particular teacher teaches first grade, I still feel as though his statement and the use of smart boards would apply to high school students and classrooms as well. Anything that can help make learning fun and intriguing is great in my eyes! And I know that they are an expensive tool for most schools, but I would definitely be willing go the extra mile to push for the use of this revolutionary equipment in my classroom.
http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/RT/2-04_column/ which recalls a teacher’s
The slide show is really cool. These are all products that I can see showing up in classrooms. I specifically like the digital white board. My high school purchased one for the library so that it was available for any class to use. I think digital white boards will be found in many classrooms in the future because they are very versatile. It is something that all teachers can use everyday. They are not too expensive either; schools can add them one by one as they gather funding.
I also really like the Tablet PC. Students can take notes by hand on their computer. This is an easy way to stay organized. Notes can be categorized and have less of a chance of being misplaced. The PCs are expensive so they might only be an option in private or wealthy schools. However, I think that they are a great alternative to each student having their own laptop in school because a Tablet is more useful.
it is amazing how technology is helping students learn. I was in a biology classroom that utilized the instant response; It helped the professor to get feedback in a large classroom without wasting time. This can only benefit the quality of students education. Technology such as the virtual books can help offset the cost of texts, as well as being incredible for the environment. As soon as these technologies become proven, there will be no stopping them from being assimilated in to an ELA curriculum.
I was supposed to use the PRS system in a chem course I took here, but for some reason the professor never had us use it, which is weird because we had to buy it. I feel like it would be a great way to get a feel for where your students are in class. Not everyone wants to raise their hand and answer a question, so doing it in this way gives everyone an opportunity. I also liked the unitedstreaming slide. I think that seeing things visually realy helps students get a better grasp of what they are learning. -Aut
Like veganova I was also in a biology class which utilized the instant feedback technology. I though that it was great and made the learning experience very unique. I feel that often times students misrepresent what they know about a subject for fear of looking “stupid” in front of other students. Its such a common scene that a teacher asks students if they understand the test material and what happens… most people say yea they understand it when they actually don’t. I saw this in person in my biology class. The teacher what ask if there were any questions.. no one would say anything and then we would use the instant response remotes and would find out that most of the class didn’t understand what they said they did. Heres a website that shows some of this technology, it looks pretty cool http://www.h-itt.com/ I would be thrilled if my classroom had this technology. Its such a quick and efficient way of taking practice quizzes and seeing what students really know in an anonymous and safe setting. You can use this technology and take only mere seconds out of the class time as opposed to wasting time in manually grading a quiz or just practice questions.
There were a few technologies that I was really impressed with. The first one was the Discovery Channel unitedstreaming. I thought this was awesome because I thought of how much time it could save the teacher from looking for the perfect video. The VSX 7000-Virtual Field Trip looked pretty amazing as well. How awesome for the anatomy students to watch a real open heart surgery. That experience you just cannot get from a book! However, the $6,000 is quite a price tag…I’m thinking grant. The apple a student idea is also great. At the school I work at, we have several students that are truly brilliant but have a writing disability. No one can read what they write, sometimes not even themselves! I have even seen them receive a bad grade based on their handwriting alone, which is so not fair. Some have it on their IEPs to use a computer for tests, but I thnk if they had the convenience of an ibook, it would make a world of difference. Also $599 is really not a bad price.
I think the digital whiteboard is simply profound. While I find instant feedback a great technology to use when calculating group response, I find the digital whiteboard a gateway to a new classroom. This is a really cool video of one professor’s use of a whiteboard: http://youtube.com/watch?v=usYFG7ffJHA
I hope that when I teach to have one of these, because it seems to save a lot of time, and it also seems to offer an array of possibilities, some of which are demonstrated by this video. Speech recognition software is a great tool, too. I just wanted to say that.
Personally, I enjoy unitedstream. Whenever I have a project to do and want to include a video, I usually use YouTube. While it is beneficial and useful, I usually have to go through numerous pages in order to find something that is appropriate. With unitedstream, it limits the search to educational issues, which makes things easier and quicker. When we are teaching, it would be easier for us to use this, because we will have many other things we have to take care off. I enjoy one teacher’s statement: “Before, I would have to go to a public library or my media center, and what [I was looking for] would be scarce,” Now, my students have thousands of videos on every subject under the sun at the click of a mouse.” Also, 70% of schools use this, so it is very popular.
Alexis
I really liked the E-Books. I think this is a form of technology I would use in my future classroom if given the chance. Check out this article that explains the necessity of recognizing the Net-generation and how it will influence the world of learning. http://www.publishingcentral.com/articles/20030813-68-4409.html?si=5
I think the E-book is going to change the future of learning for a variety of different learners. They are appealing to all students.
Just as Kaitlyn mentioned, I too really liked E-Books. I think that training students how to use the computer as an eeducational resource is going to be an important aspect for technology in the classroom. When students use computers they will probably be used to using it for leisure purposes. However, a program such as EBooks will allow students to become interactive learners while on the computer. The whole “taking notes” thing on the side of the computer screen is also a really cool concept. It keeps the students engaged with the peice of technology rather than turning to a paper and pen for writing down notes.
I actually had a smart board in my math class senior year of HS. We got it about half way through the year and though it took my teacher a bit to get used to it (she wasn’t very tech savvy) eventually she got the hang of it. Everyone should check out that video Garret found, it was pretty cool to watch.
Though a smart board is certainly pretty cool, I still have trouble seeing the real use of it. They’re very flashy and the animation thing was certainly interesting but when it boils down to it, how much more knowledge is a student going to get out of seeing a cart roll down a hill, and is it worth the two grand you have to spend to get it? I personally am still not entirely sure…
I really liked the Polycom technology that “can connect a classroom to any of thousands of live, on-site content providers, giving students an interactive window to other worlds.” This device would provide an amazing advantage to students when going on a field trip is nearly impossible. I think it’s important for students to realize early on that a world exists outside of their small everyday life. This new piece of technology will allow them to see the world and even experience diversity since they can “collaborate with peers in different countries.” I found this website about Polycom and other devices that allow field trips without leaving the classroom: http://www.mmischools.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12904
This website explained how students where experiencing events from across the country!! Specifically, some “students in New York are interviewing a Pearl Harbor survivor at the Arizona Memorial Museum in Hawaii.” I think that this type of connection is amazing!
Do you think that this piece would be useful in your classrooms, or would you prefer more traditional, local field trips??
After viewing all of the different new educational technologies, I really appreciated the Education on Demand and E-books. I feel as though they would be the most helpful in the classroom and can make learning so much easier for some students. The E-books also really contribute to the paperless classroom because students can just make all of their notes right on the web infront of them while reading their favorite books. The Education on Demand offers many videos that can be viewed by the student individually which will leave less room for distraction and they can pay attention and watch at their own pace or even rewind if they are unsure of a concept. http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/mags/mu/&toc=comp/mags/mu/1998/01/u1toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/93.664744
The one item that I was very surprised to hear about was the “Just like Front Row” LightSPEED technology. I think it’s a great concept which may be a little too expensive for most school systems. But I think it is something I would have never thought of and I appreciate that we are always developing new technlogy to better our children’s education.