What a day to be an educator and a student when one considers all the wonderful technology at our fingertips!! Did you know that the definition for literacy now includes interacting with technology in a meaningful way besides just the reading and writing components of literacy of which we are aware? Technology is a tool to help us teach and to help us reach our lesson objectives, not an end-all. It should help to motivate students and to make learning more relevant to them. As someone once said, technology adds a new dimension to our teaching if used effectively.
To start off, I want to make it clear that I am not an expert on the technology that is available today. In fact, sometimes it scares me just to think about it! When I started teaching in 1980, I had a chalkboard and chalk, a filmstrip projector, and a huge reel-to-reel film projector on wheels that I checked out from the library. Using the purple master copier was a highlight of my day. And to think…I averaged my grades by hand!! I won’t ever forget the day we received overhead projectors and no longer had to erase the chalkboard after every class. You get the picture. Over the years came white boards and markers, computers, e-mail, and all of what we have today: all of it much easier for our students to use than for us. Technology is such a normal part of their lives, and we do students a disservice by not experimenting with it and implementing it into our plans on a regular basis. Let’s make it a point to take advantage of the necessary training that is offered to us so we will be prepared and relaxed. Seek out those co-workers that have been successful with the technology and ask for help.
Not all of us are afforded the same technology, but we all have something we can use as we encourage our students down the writing road, as we take them from passive to active learners.. Whether it’s an overhead projector, LCD projector, or SMARTBoard, our students need access. Technology is such a part of their worlds that we cannot be afraid to try. Just try. Word processing and laptops are an easy place to start. Why not have our students e-mail “real” authors? We’ve got digital and video cameras that can enrich interview sessions as preparation for a writing assignment. We could create digital memory books. Powerpoint is available for final presentations, google docs for rough drafts, revision, and feedback, and the internet for research. Blogs and class websites can be used for publishing. And what about Skype and video-conferencing? With permission and some planning, you have the world in your hands. With a little innovation, imagine how we can transform our classrooms.
Technology can give us access to programs that help struggling students with organization, notetaking, and writing assistance. Really, there is no excuse for not experimenting with what is “out there.”
If you really want to venture out, think about iTunes, iPhoto and youtube…
All school systems have procedures for usage of technology and you know when parental permission is necessary. Yes, we are accountable and should be cognizant of the need for safety as our students go online. However, the advantages of using the technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Decide today to get to know a new technology and then find a way to share this with your students. Take advantage of all the training that is offered to you and expect great dividends. Don’t let a little fear or technology-intimidation stop you from making a difference.
Check out these tips for more information.
http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/26/101-ways-classroom-technology/