Journal Post 1

Journal Post 1
EME 2040

Chapter 1- Technology in the Classroom

Focus Question: What roles does technology play in the lives of students and teachers? 1. Teachers engage the students. 2. Students are involved. 3. All students participate 4. Teacher knows that all students are participating. 5. Teacher keeps track of progress.

Children are now more exposed to technology than ever before. So, now we as teachers need to learn and teach children the way they learn best and that is with technology. Children walk into my Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) holding either a smartphone, tablet, or even an iPad and they are playing games or listening to music. The parent will usually tell me what game their child is playing and what they are learning. I try to get the same games on the Smart board that I have in my classroom. They are having fun and if they know it or not, they are learning. According to Marc Prensky, these children are called, "Digital Natives". "Our students today are all 'native speakers' of the digital language of computers, video games and the internet." We as teachers are up against a challenge to revamp our lesson plans and teach the students with the technology they are exposed to at home. The SmartBoard helps all the different learning styles. It helps students that are auditory learners, visual learners, and hands on learners! 

                                               

                                                      Photo credit to Kjarrett on Flikr

The SmartBoard is a great learning experience for the students. An example of another use of the SmartBoard is when a teacher would like to teach about a chick hatching, the teacher can have a bookmark about the chicks hatching. The children can experience it and not have to be there in real life, but it's on YouTube.

Teachers are fining that "clickers" are a great use in a classroom. The "clickers" are handed to each student and each student must press an answer. The teacher will know the percentage that are correct and also the ones that got the answer wrong. This elevates just one student answering the question and all the students get to answer at a click of a button. The teacher will be able to give the student one on one attention and help them understand and learn more effectively.

Teachers are liking the fact that they have the children involved in their classroom. This is just another way to teach with technology in the classroom.

Finally, teachers are able to keep a log on their computers of their students progress. This will help the teacher to help the student that is falling behind. The lesson plans could be done with links added to them and this will help the teacher to be organized and prepared.

Summary and Connection
Chapter one has been informative and a little challenging. Technology keeps updating and changing which gets me a little nervous. It is great to know that things just keep getting better and better, but that also means that teachers will need to keep getting more and more up to date with the new technology.

I plan to put use more technology in my classroom. The use of an iPod is not as expensive and can be utilized in the listening center. This can also teach children independence and responsibility since I can't be there 100% of the time.

I will work hard in learning more about integrating in my classroom and to be better prepared when I go into teaching a kindergarten class when I graduate. In order to keep up with today's children, we as teachers need to be more connected with the technology that is out there.

Resources:

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2010).Transforming learning with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon.  

Prensky, Marc. "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1." On the Horizon 9 (2001): 1-6.