In today's classrooms, technology has become a prevalent tool in the learning process. There are numerous Web 2.0 resources available for both students and teachers. Before this assignment, I had never worked with Glogster, Animoto, or Classtools, but after being exposed to them I can see how they would be beneficial for classroom learning if utilized properly. Learning about these new technologies has made me realize that, as a classroom teacher, I need to do a better job when it comes to keeping up with all of the resources that are readily available for me, as well as my students.
As technology continues to progress, we can see that "the Internet has become a primary form of communication for teachers and students, replacing traditional channels such as sending letters and making telephone calls" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 220). Although I do make phone calls to parents, my primary form of communication with parents is e-mail. There are many forms of technology that support communication within the classroom as well such as tweets, bulletin boards, and blogs. After using the Blogger website for this class, I can see how having a classroom blog would be extremely beneficial for students in my English classes. The course text describes a blog as "a web page that serves as a publicly accessible location for discussing a topic or issue" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 222). Discussion is a major aspect of my classroom environment, and teaching students to discuss with one another through technology is a great tool for them to have. Another technology that supports collaborative learning are Wikis. Our course text highlights that many teachers choose to use Wikis "in their classes for students to develop their own wikis or they develop wikis to communicate their own content" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 223). I think that it would be beneficial for students to know how to create their own wikis, but I can see that wiki pages would be very helpful for teachers, specifically to have throughout the implementation of an entire unit.
Even though there are many benefits to using technology, there are also precautions that must be taken when using the Internet. It is crucial that we teach students proper ways to use the Internet that protect themselves and support their learning. Roblyer and Doering discuss the major issues of Internet use as "accessing sites with inappropriate materials, safety and privacy issues for students, fraud on the Internet, computer viruses and hacking, and copyright and plagiarism issues" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 214-216). With all of these potential Internet dangers, it is imperative that students learn the proper ways to navigate the Internet as a whole.
Though technology can be extremely beneficial in the classroom, it is crucial that teachers give correct instruction on how to use new technologies that are being implemented. During my years as a student, I learned that there is nothing more frustrating than having an assignment that I was not clear about how to complete. I try to keep this in mind now that I am the teacher giving instructions. As a teacher it is so helpful to have all of these technology resources at my fingertips, I just have to remember to always adequately explain how to use these resources properly, effectively, and efficiently.
Below you will find the glog I created to introduce the novel study of The Devil's Arithmetic. This glog contains facts about the Holocaust, background information about The Devil's Arithmetic, a WebQuest giving information about the Holocaust as well as the novel, and the movie trailer for The Devil's Arithmetic.
Below you will find the Animoto video I created that relates to the novel, The Devil's Arithmetic. The video includes pictures from The Devil's Arithmetic movie, as well as pictures from inside the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Make your own slideshow at Animoto.
I designed the following two classroom games through the Classtools website.Below is the link to my Fakebook Novel Study Page.
Fakebook Novel Study Page
This is the timeline of events for the novel, The Devil's Arithmetic, made through the Classtools website.
A 21st Century Learning Model: 21st century, article, learning, read | Glogster EDU... via @EDUAmbassadors http://t.co/82K2CbfVWN
— Glogster EDU (@GlogsterEDU) July 9, 2013
I agree-it is up to teachers to become knowledgeable about all the the great resources available to use. I need to do a better job, too. I have never read that book, but it sounds really interesting! I think that the timeline tool was a great way to review the novel and keep in mind the order of events.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job with the timeline tool. I really need to brush up on these skills because it is ultimately up to me to find a way to draw my student's interest intio what I am tryingto teach them. Even if it means training myself outside of work or during the summer.(LOL)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this novel but I like your resources. I like the timeline tool. I think this would be a great to incorporate one of my projects. My students complete an all about me project an creating a timeline would be great! I agree that teachers must learn technology. My only problem is finding the extra time! ;)
ReplyDeleteNice blog. I definitely agree. This assignment has opened my eyes to how easy technology can be put into lesson plans. I am definitely going to make an attempt this year to put some of these things into practice. The greatest thing is these resources doesn't require tons of time.
ReplyDelete