This blog serves as a place to interact around various prompts related to information and communication technology (ICT). To add your thoughts, click the Comments link below this post (entry) and type. Be sure to add your name at the end of your comments.
Please briefly describe your personal connections with technology - successes, challenges, or concerns.
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15 comments:
*List of Technology Currently Used (Math Classroom):
1. Graphing Calculators
2. LCD Projector
3. Agile Mind
4. Laptops
*Beginning to Experiment With...
1. Internet-Based Textbooks
2. Graphing Calculator Programs Loaded onto Laptops
3. Blogs
Tim
I thought the Friedman blog article made a great point that students need to be good at learning how to learn. My students always ask why they have to learn algebra/geometry/etc, and I always respond that it is about the process not the actual content. I feel the same with technology. No matter what we teach in terms of technology, it will be obsolete by the time they are out of college and in the workplace. But, learning the process of becoming comfortable with technology is a skill that will stay with them for years.
My group consisted of art music and sped. None of us feel that we use the internet or technology effectively although we all use it to some extent. I can definitely relate to the article since I was not engaged in my high school education until my 11th grade English teacher made what we learned relevant and exciting. I even remember some of what I learned which is amazing since it's been a few generations since High School!
Coach is right. I intend to have students blog independent reading book reviews.
Technology Integration is emerging in math classrooms currently with graphing calculators, LCD projectors, laptops, and SMART Boards. Teachers report as access to the technology improves student achievement is improving likewise. Some of the challenges and barriers to using technology...having web-based texts and technology that is easily accessible to students and teachers (ease of use, fast and trouble free processing, student management and record keeping systems...
Rick
I agree with Thomas Friedman that the best teachers motivate students to learn how to learn. They create excitement about their "subject" that leads to a desire on the part of students to define their task, figure out what they need, how to extract info, how to organize and present it.... But only if they feel a connection to what they are learning. For me, learning more about technology is crucial so that I can create the excitement for (or at least interest in) the subjects I teach.
Joanne Lannin
My use of technology is limited to emailing, taking attendance and word processing documents. I want to be able to utilize technology more in working with my students to improve their skills. I agree that "learning to learn" is the most important skill we can instill in our students. However, I am finding it difficult to convince students of this fact. Debbie
I definitely feel like my comfort zone is being challenged. As a teacher and as a learner I feel behind and I worry that my classroom is not in sync with the world that my students and I live in. I want to facilitate my students in the process of how to learn.
Jane
The small group sharing we did before this blogging activity was revealing, to me, as to the different places Maine teachers are at when it comes to technology integration. When asked to share successes my mind immediately went to the "big" projects I've undertaken using technology in the classroom. I shared with the group my experiences having kids go on virtual field trips through Africa. I also shared an interactive web activity hosted by the US Congress. Other people in my group shared their experience using PowerPoint presentations. It wasn't until people spoke about PowerPoint that I realized just how second-nature using PowerPoint and similar technology has become to me.
The Friedman piece reminded me of how short the attention span of many adults and students is in the United States. While it is important to teach our students the virtues of patience we also have to remember that we need to meet our students where they are. Using technology can help meet students who have been raised with short attention spans and live in a "sound bite" society.
In mathematics there is a variety of technology uses. It seems that training the students to use either the graphing calculator, internet site, or the software takes so much class time that the content may be compromised. However successful at integrating the technology the loss of time can cause a teacher to forgo the effort.
For me learning to integrate graphing calculators took 5 training sessions and finally a text that required it to feel comfortable.
JR
My group discussed the relevance of technology. One concern was the time needed to set up use of machines and getting the group all to a needed site. We also discussed the use of programs such as sketchpad and how useful technology is for statistics.
In response to the article about student achievement in relation to learning.The anecdotal information was relevant for a great number of students. If you are not interested, you probably will not want to delve deeply into the intricacies of the subject.
Leah
The article brought up some interesting ideas - what are the priorities of the decision makers? How do we impress upon students the importance of the process, not just the product?
I haven't had many successful experiences because of technological glitches. My room is between two different airports and neither works well in my room. This causes the frustration of students not able to log in and the information coming up slowly. The airports allegedly support up to 24 computers and I have a class of 25; how frustrating! I assigned a powerpoint presentation and found out that the student laptops don't have Microsoft Office.
I have created a powerpoint on interpreting political cartoons and have added my voice so that other teachers may be able to use it. I have a powerpoint that integrates streaming video, but I don't remember how I got that onto the powerpoint (a student helped me do it). I created a webpage on Firstclass, but find it can't be too big or I can't use my email.
In regards to the article, I watch Jon Stewart anytime I can get myself to stay up that late. He is one of the few newsmen (I know he is a faux newsman) that have the audacity to tell the truth about the news.
Upon reflecting back to my own education, the people and the skills they taught me are the things I retain. The formulas in physics may not not be foremost in my thoughts, but the process of working to get an answer sticks with me. I didn't remember all the facts I learned about history in H.S., but I do remember how to take notes and how to write an essay. I don't remember the details in Biology, but I do understand how to propose a thesis and how to research and test my thesis. Learning how to learn is important!
Jamie
Our group discussion centered around the use of computers for e-mail, online lesson plans and information searches and the desire to do more than those basic things.
Our music department received a grant and we have installed a dozen new computer/keyboard labs with a couple music software programs. One of the issues we have is a space problem and the stations are spread through four different and small rooms while another class is going on in the main room. If students have a question or issue they need to walk through the main room (while another teacher is trying to teach-as lunch is going on directly behind him with only a curtain for sound barrier) and find me and I travel between four rooms to answer questions, collect work on my USB drive, and keep tabs on less productive students.
One of the challenges I see is to use the technology we have to receive work, provide feedback,and answer simple questions. I would also like to create and archive lessons taught so students can review them from their station when they haven't taken adequate notes or didn't quite understand something the first time.
allen
Started to use technology in the class room back in 1992. Created tests and handouts using paint. student downloaded test and assignments to their computer from floppy disks. My biggest challenge was to teach electronics and computer repair electronicly. No text book or paper. This is what I do today and constantly strive improve how I delivery content. Students use USB flash drives to track their assignments and activities. They then forward their homework to an 'INBOX' where I collect it and correct it. Clarence Cormier @ BEHS
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