You have taken a creative approach to integrating technology. You and your students are experimenting and seeing what works beyond the usual. I find this very interesting and believe that this is an example of an effective way to enhance instruction.
As a district, we need to continue to make technology a focus. Technology enhanced classrooms center around student creation, synthesis, evaluation, and analysis. These classrooms provide students with a more authentic environment for the 21st century workplace.
This has been an awesome tool in the classroom because I have students respond to openers, lecture notes, and/or video clips using their cell phones as an option. It is a much better way to hear from students than having them write something down on a piece of paper that only I see. Studies prove that students think more (for the most part) about what they write when they know that others in the digital world will be reading and responding.
Blogging is an interactive way for students to communicate with the teacher in realtime. With close to 40 students in a classroom I do not always have time to hear from every student orally. Or some students are just not comfortable sharing responses aloud. Blogging has allowed me to digitally "hear" from all of my students. I also require my students to respond to three or four other students and not just "post and run". For students that do not have smartphones or internet access at home, we use the lab on campus to respond and complete assignments. The greatest joy is watching students learn from each other in a way that the traditional classroom setting does not always provide.
Students benefit when using the most up to date information and workplace tools. The knowledge and skills used in a technology rich classroom mirror what is expected of the students when they enter the larger world. It is exciting to see the students grow in mastery of these skills.
How can we increase the use of technology in our district to enhance instruction?
ReplyDeleteLearning (and technology) needs to be mobile. Blackboard is just a beginning.
ReplyDeleteYou have taken a creative approach to integrating technology. You and your students are experimenting and seeing what works beyond the usual. I find this very interesting and believe that this is an example of an effective way to enhance instruction.
ReplyDeleteAs a district, we need to continue to make technology a focus. Technology enhanced classrooms center around student creation, synthesis, evaluation, and analysis. These classrooms provide students with a more authentic environment for the 21st century workplace.
ReplyDeleteThis has been an awesome tool in the classroom because I have students respond to openers, lecture notes, and/or video clips using their cell phones as an option. It is a much better way to hear from students than having them write something down on a piece of paper that only I see. Studies prove that students think more (for the most part) about what they write when they know that others in the digital world will be reading and responding.
ReplyDeleteBlogging is an interactive way for students to communicate with the teacher in realtime. With close to 40 students in a classroom I do not always have time to hear from every student orally. Or some students are just not comfortable sharing responses aloud. Blogging has allowed me to digitally "hear" from all of my students. I also require my students to respond to three or four other students and not just "post and run". For students that do not have smartphones or internet access at home, we use the lab on campus to respond and complete assignments. The greatest joy is watching students learn from each other in a way that the traditional classroom setting does not always provide.
This looks great! You are doing a great job with the incorporation of technology in the classroom! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteStudents benefit when using the most up to date information and workplace tools. The knowledge and skills used in a technology rich classroom mirror what is expected of the students when they enter the larger world. It is exciting to see the students grow in mastery of these skills.
ReplyDelete