1. After reading these articles, how do you feel about using technology in a classroom where outside access is a problem?
2. Will you be doing a disservice to all of your students if you do not use technology because of access issues for a few?
3. How will you increase access for students who are disadvantaged?
I think it is important to incorporate technology into education. Before a teacher decides to use technology, it is important to get an idea of how many students have access to computers beyond school. Because we do not know what lies inside a child's home, asking students about technology provides that needed look into their lives. If there are still students who do not have access to technology outside of the classroom, it is important to give ample time in class to complete projects. If a class has time for study hall, give students the chance to use the computers to finish their work.
As the article titled Social Justice-Choice or Necessity mentioned, it is very important that the students of today are technologically savvy. When students enter college, even if they are intellectually gifted, if they do not possess the proper technology skills, they will be steps behind their peers. It is the job of teachers, especially in secondary education, to provide their students with these skills necessary to succeed beyond high school.
Although some students will not have access to computers in their homes, there are resources around school and most communities where computers are available for public use. Many school libraries have computer labs for student use, and can often be used before or after school. The public library is another spot that offers public computer access. Depending on the size of the community, there may be multiple public libraries that are easy for students to access. In Portland, there are coffee shops that offer free internet access with the purchase of a drink or snack.
Our society today offers many opportunities for the public to access technology if they do not have it available in their own home. It is essential to incorporate technology into the classroom for the sake of the students. If teachers want their students to be prepared for the world beyond the classroom, technology needs to be addressed and worked into the curriculum. Encourage students to locate resources beyond their homes. It might be a good idea to start a technology lesson by listing the public computers in the area and how to access them, giving students the information about where to find the computers without putting them on the spot.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
PowerPoints in the Classroom
I very much enjoyed all of the presentations that were shown today. I really liked Scott's presentation, as it showed pieces of his life but also what he wanted to accomplish in his future classroom. I wish that I had thought of that idea! He was able to incorporate introduction and class values in one. If I make a PowerPoint for a first day in a future classroom, that is what I will do.
I really enjoyed the pictures that people featured in their presentations. In Josh's presentation, I liked how his slides of pictures had very little text and he talked about every single picture and how it related to him growing up. I loved the "I Love Lucy" clip that Nicole showed. I haven't seen that show in a very long time and it was fun to relate back to the memory of watching that show with my mom. I also enjoyed the clip that Brookes showed of her band playing a song. it is always neat to see people doing something they really like to do. She likes to play music and it was fun to see her in her element.
The least engaging thing from the presentations was the large amounts of text. I prefer slides that have a small amount of text and lots of pictures or video. Although some people had slides with a lot of text, they were able to use it effectively and did not read every single stat.
After watching everyone else's presentations, I wish that I would have incorporated more of my education beliefs and values into the presentation. Ryan mentioned his in the presentation, about how he believed that education is the tool that can fix the world! My presentation focused only on myself up to this point in history. Next time, I would like to put in goals and ideas for the future.
I think that PowerPoint can be useful in certain situations, but I do not really like using it. This may be because I have seen WAY too many poorly done PowerPoints where the creator does not branch away from the slides and instead uses it as a crutch. If a PowerPoint is used to supplement a lesson rather than provide all of the information, I think it can be useful in the classroom. One good thing about using PowerPoint is that the information/lecture can be stored for future lessons. Once it is prepared, it can be used over and over. A bad thing about PowerPoint is that they can often lose a class rather than engage one. By working with the PowerPoint, a teacher can use technology and their own expertise to capture their students' attention.
I really enjoyed the pictures that people featured in their presentations. In Josh's presentation, I liked how his slides of pictures had very little text and he talked about every single picture and how it related to him growing up. I loved the "I Love Lucy" clip that Nicole showed. I haven't seen that show in a very long time and it was fun to relate back to the memory of watching that show with my mom. I also enjoyed the clip that Brookes showed of her band playing a song. it is always neat to see people doing something they really like to do. She likes to play music and it was fun to see her in her element.
The least engaging thing from the presentations was the large amounts of text. I prefer slides that have a small amount of text and lots of pictures or video. Although some people had slides with a lot of text, they were able to use it effectively and did not read every single stat.
After watching everyone else's presentations, I wish that I would have incorporated more of my education beliefs and values into the presentation. Ryan mentioned his in the presentation, about how he believed that education is the tool that can fix the world! My presentation focused only on myself up to this point in history. Next time, I would like to put in goals and ideas for the future.
I think that PowerPoint can be useful in certain situations, but I do not really like using it. This may be because I have seen WAY too many poorly done PowerPoints where the creator does not branch away from the slides and instead uses it as a crutch. If a PowerPoint is used to supplement a lesson rather than provide all of the information, I think it can be useful in the classroom. One good thing about using PowerPoint is that the information/lecture can be stored for future lessons. Once it is prepared, it can be used over and over. A bad thing about PowerPoint is that they can often lose a class rather than engage one. By working with the PowerPoint, a teacher can use technology and their own expertise to capture their students' attention.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)