Monday, October 17, 2016
Blog Reflection
This was my first time ever blogging. I do not feel like I have good enough writing skills to keep a blog going. This project or assignment (whatever you would like to call it) was definitely out of my comfort zone. I do like the idea of blogging. I think that it is a great way to get your ideas out there for everyone to see. I think the fact that I got to choose what to make my blog about helped me out tremendously. There were a couple times I caught myself putting no effort into my blogs (or at least feeling like it took no effort) because I was so into my topic. I would definitely recommend picking a topic that you are truly passionate about if you are going to start a blog. It makes it so much easier. I think that if I was teaching in an upper elementary classroom I would definitely use blogs. One thing that comes to mind is having my students use a blog as their science notebook/journal. The most difficult part of this assignment for me was trying to make my blogs informational, but at the same time, interesting.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
How to Use Technology in The Classroom
In my last two blog posts, I have talked about why we should use technology in our classroom and what technologies to use. In this post, I am going to focus on how to use technology in the classroom. I think that using technology is important, but it is very important for teachers to know how to use it properly. Newer teachers are probably better at using technology than older teachers, just because we grew up learning how to use it.
One great way to use technology in the classroom is by using PowerPoint. PowerPoint can be used for game such as Jeopardy. Kids love this and it is a great way to review (Haynes). PowerPoints can also be used for presentations. I know students love making these presentations. High schoolers even secretly enjoy it.
Sure, teachers can have the class listen to podcasts, but how awesome would it be to create a class podcast?! Creating a podcast is actually very simple. All you have to do is make a SoundCloud account, and hit record! Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can. The kids will love this! It could be anything from reading a book to singing a song!
Teachers can also create a class website. This is pretty simple too. The best thing about class websites is that you can share information with parents without printing off all of those newsletters. Teachers can also publish their students' work on the class website. Not only will the parents love this, but so will the kiddos. They will think that it is the best thing ever that their work is on the Internet. (you can make the parents have login information so that a bunch of random people can't see your students' work)
Teachers could use the Smart Board to Skype with people outside the classroom. It would be a great way for students to interact with others. This could be done with other students from a different classroom or even a different school. It could be done with other adults, like a police officer could give the students a virtual tour of the police station.
There are so many ways to integrate technology in the classroom! Most of them are very simple. Teachers just have to be willing to put in the effort.
References:
One great way to use technology in the classroom is by using PowerPoint. PowerPoint can be used for game such as Jeopardy. Kids love this and it is a great way to review (Haynes). PowerPoints can also be used for presentations. I know students love making these presentations. High schoolers even secretly enjoy it.
Sure, teachers can have the class listen to podcasts, but how awesome would it be to create a class podcast?! Creating a podcast is actually very simple. All you have to do is make a SoundCloud account, and hit record! Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can. The kids will love this! It could be anything from reading a book to singing a song!
Teachers can also create a class website. This is pretty simple too. The best thing about class websites is that you can share information with parents without printing off all of those newsletters. Teachers can also publish their students' work on the class website. Not only will the parents love this, but so will the kiddos. They will think that it is the best thing ever that their work is on the Internet. (you can make the parents have login information so that a bunch of random people can't see your students' work)
Teachers could use the Smart Board to Skype with people outside the classroom. It would be a great way for students to interact with others. This could be done with other students from a different classroom or even a different school. It could be done with other adults, like a police officer could give the students a virtual tour of the police station.
There are so many ways to integrate technology in the classroom! Most of them are very simple. Teachers just have to be willing to put in the effort.
References:
Haynes, K. (n.d.). 12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers. Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers
Saturday, October 1, 2016
What Technology is Best for Classroom Use?
Technology makes the classroom more interactive and more collaborative. I feel like both of these things are very important elements of education. Students have the opportunity to work with other students without being in the same area as them. They have the opportunity to interact with students from another state or country. Technology opens so many doors for our students, and I think that it will only continue to get better. In this post, I am going to talk about the best technologies to use in the classroom.
The first technology that I think that every single classroom should have is a Smart Board. I know that some schools do not have the funding to get these, but the students really benefit from these. Smart Boards allow students to get involved in interactive activities of any kind. They also allow teachers to show videos, play podcasts, etc.
The iPad is the second technology that I think that every student should have access to at school. Kids love these things, and they are so great at using them! It is crazy to me how well my three year old students can operate my iPad. The Apple Store has a huge selection of educational apps and games that the students can use. They can also share their work on the iPad, connect to the internet or research, etc.
I think that upper elementary classrooms, middle school classrooms, and high school classrooms should have access to laptops. Laptops allow the students to connect to the internet, but they also give the students access to a full keyboard for typing. This is a great way for students to be able to use Google Docs, or any other kind of collaborative website.
I think that teachers should utilize the websites on the internet. They can use youtube for videos. Sound Cloud is a great site for podcasts. There are so many different websites that students can use for presentations. Some of these websites are Prezi, Powtoon, Google Slides, etc. The great thing about these presentation sites is that they are collaborative. The students can work together on their presentation even when they are not together at school.
Teachers should take advantage of all of these different technologies. There are also many more that they could use. No matter what technology teachers decide to use, they will be enhancing their students' education.
REFERENCE:
The first technology that I think that every single classroom should have is a Smart Board. I know that some schools do not have the funding to get these, but the students really benefit from these. Smart Boards allow students to get involved in interactive activities of any kind. They also allow teachers to show videos, play podcasts, etc.
The iPad is the second technology that I think that every student should have access to at school. Kids love these things, and they are so great at using them! It is crazy to me how well my three year old students can operate my iPad. The Apple Store has a huge selection of educational apps and games that the students can use. They can also share their work on the iPad, connect to the internet or research, etc.
I think that upper elementary classrooms, middle school classrooms, and high school classrooms should have access to laptops. Laptops allow the students to connect to the internet, but they also give the students access to a full keyboard for typing. This is a great way for students to be able to use Google Docs, or any other kind of collaborative website.
I think that teachers should utilize the websites on the internet. They can use youtube for videos. Sound Cloud is a great site for podcasts. There are so many different websites that students can use for presentations. Some of these websites are Prezi, Powtoon, Google Slides, etc. The great thing about these presentation sites is that they are collaborative. The students can work together on their presentation even when they are not together at school.
Teachers should take advantage of all of these different technologies. There are also many more that they could use. No matter what technology teachers decide to use, they will be enhancing their students' education.
REFERENCE:
Top 28 Technology Products for K-12 Classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2016, from http://www.k-12techdecisions.com/photo/top_25_technology_products_for_k12_classrooms_in
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Why Technology Should be Used in The Elementary Classroom
While the majority of people think that technology in the classroom is a great thing, there are some people who think otherwise. The point of my blog posts is to change the minds of those people. In my opinion, technology enhances the learning of every single student. It also allows students to be more involved in their own learning. The majority of students in the elementary classroom today have grown up with technology and know how to use it. This just makes it that much easier to integrate technology into education.
I know this may not be the most important thing to most people, but technology will make learning more fun for our students. If learning is fun for our students, they will enjoy school so much more. Technology allows us to use virtual lessons on tablets and/or computers. We can also use videos and podcasts to teach our lessons. All of these things make learning seem more fun for our students (Cox).
The use of technology in the classroom also prepares our students for the future (Cox). Just in the last few years, technology has taken over our world. I cannot wait to see where technology is in the next five to ten years. It will truly be amazing. This just means that we need to get our students familiar with technology because they will more than likely be using it for the rest of their lives.
One of the greatest things about technology is that it allows students to learn at their own pace. This is especially important for students who have special needs and students who learn at a quicker pace. Almost every single app allows students to move at their own pace. Technology also allows students to repeat their tasks over and over until they understand the information.
Technology allows students to share their work with people all over the world. While I definitely think that this should be closely monitored, I do think that it is a great idea for students to have "tech pals". Tech pals are email pals that are very similar to pen pals. This is a great way for students to learn about many different cultures (Conley, Mullin, 2003).
I have only provided just a few ways that students can benefit from technology in the classroom. I am sure I will talk about more in future postings, but I just wanted to get a few ideas out there. I am a firm believer in using technology in the classroom, I even use it in my three year old preschool class. My kiddos love to play educational games on the iPad. I hope that my posts encourage other teachers to use technology in their classrooms. I also hope that this changes the minds of technology's opponents.
REFERENCES:
Cox, J. (n.d.). Benefits of Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom
I know this may not be the most important thing to most people, but technology will make learning more fun for our students. If learning is fun for our students, they will enjoy school so much more. Technology allows us to use virtual lessons on tablets and/or computers. We can also use videos and podcasts to teach our lessons. All of these things make learning seem more fun for our students (Cox).
The use of technology in the classroom also prepares our students for the future (Cox). Just in the last few years, technology has taken over our world. I cannot wait to see where technology is in the next five to ten years. It will truly be amazing. This just means that we need to get our students familiar with technology because they will more than likely be using it for the rest of their lives.
One of the greatest things about technology is that it allows students to learn at their own pace. This is especially important for students who have special needs and students who learn at a quicker pace. Almost every single app allows students to move at their own pace. Technology also allows students to repeat their tasks over and over until they understand the information.
Technology allows students to share their work with people all over the world. While I definitely think that this should be closely monitored, I do think that it is a great idea for students to have "tech pals". Tech pals are email pals that are very similar to pen pals. This is a great way for students to learn about many different cultures (Conley, Mullin, 2003).
I have only provided just a few ways that students can benefit from technology in the classroom. I am sure I will talk about more in future postings, but I just wanted to get a few ideas out there. I am a firm believer in using technology in the classroom, I even use it in my three year old preschool class. My kiddos love to play educational games on the iPad. I hope that my posts encourage other teachers to use technology in their classrooms. I also hope that this changes the minds of technology's opponents.
REFERENCES:
Conley, B., & Mullin, T. (2003, November 7). Benefits of Technology in the Classroom. 1(1), 1-2. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.497.5273&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Cox, J. (n.d.). Benefits of Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom
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