No matter how hard we try there is no escaping technology. No matter where we look there it is staring us in the face, in the forms of computers, cell phones, pda's, i pods, mp3 players, and of course video games. Now I love all of these devises just as much as much as my students love theirs. I own the new Blackberry storm, a laptop, an i pod, an XBox 360, a Nintendo DS, and a PSP among others. Technology operates me better than I can operate it.
That said, technology is something that is applicable in my classroom and out. Because technology has obviously captured the attention of my students (and is not letting up), it can be my best friend when it comes to teaching...
Blogs are a great way for students to read each others work and to communicate in ways other than passing notes in my class and talking to each other in some form of sign language that I am apparently oblivious to...
Skype could be used to communicate with important figures in the community. This way the studnents will have a way to interact with an imperative adult instead of torturing them as they are doing our X - Mayor of Racine by playing ding dong ditch at hi house because the community just found out that he was a pediphile.
Google Docs is an excellent way to post papers and messages to classmates and others in the school. Perhaps this will eliminate the need to write on bathroom stalls (or not).
Not only can technology improve the learning of my students it might actually improve behavior.
It's all a pipe dream I know... wishful thinking. :)
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Catherine, we are in the same boat. My students always are blown away when I can sit down and play guitar hero with them or kick their butts in a Mario Kart match. I think it is nice to show the students that you understand the world that surrounds them. I think that it shows our students that maybe the information from "our world" may have some relevance to their world and therefore they are more apt to take our information in. In the same light, our ability to meet their technology needs is extremely important. Like many of us are struggling to learn how to use this technology, our students grew up with much of this so they struggle to learn how to use the things we grew up with like a pencil and paper. It is imperative that we meet their needs rather than them meeting our needs. By the way, how is the Storm? I have a Curve and have thought about upgrading but am afraid that I would break it because I'm so tough on my phones.
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine-
ReplyDeleteI really liked when you said, "Not only can technology improve the learning of my students it might actually improve behavior." I was talking to a new teacher last week, and she was talking about the difficulties she was having with classroom managment. I told her that she needed to keep her students engaged for the entire period, and that it would really help her classroom management issues. I don't know if she really believed me.
Reading your comment made me think of things that we are learning in class, and how I can use them to pique my students' attention. I have had great success in the past with technology, because the students are so excited with what they are learning. I will have to share some of our newly-learned technology ideas with this novice teacher....It might help both of us become better teachers.....
Thank you for the inspiration to talk to her about some of these new ideas! I hadn't thought of sharing them with her!
Hi Cathy- I agree with what you opened with about all of our tech toys. I grew up with video games and now try to hide my interest from my students and I finally broke down and got an I-pod last year and can't remember what life was like without. I agree with the usefulness of skype and google docs. I think video conferencing and sharing classes online would be a great option for students who are sick or even suspended. Google docs also is a great way to share information, I have a limited number of computers to share in my department and for students to be able to save and collaborate on work without a jump drive would be great. As far as technology, it may not improve behavior directly, but it does make things more interesting.
ReplyDeleteWow good responses to your post- many about your new "Storm" (now I will have to look at them). You have a good start with these tools, I am looking forward to working with you more on them.
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