Student Centered Technology
Courtesy of technapex.com
Introduction
There are many important factors to be considered when developing a Comprehensive Classroom Technology Plan but the first and the most important element that should be taken into consideration at all times has to be the student. Incorporating student-centered lessons is the key to reaching the student at the student’s level, and with the advances that technology has made over the past two decades; it has made it possible to effectively reach students by utilizing their strength, which is, the new literacy that is technology. Three tools that are sure to, not only elevate, but differentiate instruction in the classroom are preloaded software, online-based tools, and pieces of technology such as iPods, iPads, and iPhones.
Technology to Differentiate Instruction
Preloaded Software: Many computers that are bought by the school districts for in class instruction are preloaded with software that are assets to differentiating instruction in the classroom. For example iMacs, have many useful tools such as iMovie, Pages, Voice Memos, and Podcast that if utilize can enhance student centered lesson plans. One of the standards in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is creativity and innovation. We are long past the Crayola and construction paper era, as is proven with the new literacy the new generation of students have brought into the classrooms, and in order to match or encourage creativity in the classrooms, we have to speak in same language the student speaks in, which is technology based. Student-centered instruction provides a connection between all earning styles through experiences, opportunities to conceptualize, experiment, and reflection discoveries. Technology makes it possible for students to learn according to their own styles and to apply personal strategies (Smith 1996).
Online-based Tools: Online-based tools are not only cost effective but a great asset to the classroom when composing student-centered lessons. One online-based tool, in particular, is Prezi. This is an online-based presentation tool. This can benefit the student-centered lesson because it enables it to become and interactive lecture device. In where a lecture would solely be held in a classroom environment, composing a lecture on Prezi makes it available anywhere, anytime. Not to mention that the lecture can also be customizable for a particular student. It can also be used to monitor group project’s progress in real time, which enables the teacher to step in before the finished project becomes a failure (Knill 2014). This coincides perfectly with the ISTE Standard that elaborates on communication and collaboration, which supports individual learning.
iPods, iPads, and iPhones: With preloaded software and online-based software at an educators grasp, iPods, iPads, and iPhones become less intimidating to work with. They sync perfectly with one another, which makes it even easier for a teacher to monitor the student’s progress and work. Because they work cohesively, it easy for a student to submerge into a project without fear of feeling overwhelmed, or over stimulated, with technology. What makes these gadgets a great addition to a student-centered lesson is the expendable amount of communication that they have to offer. In order for children to be active members in their school and home environments they must first understand how to communicate and because of the advancement of technology is changing, the form of communication is changing. Where the teacher is engaged in delivering a lesson plan, a student might not be and that may because the difference in literacy. However, through technology, such as iPods, iPads, and iPhones, students and teachers can be actively engaged in the learning process, which also falls into the ISTE Standard about communication and collaboration (OAIster 2011).
Pros and Cons: The level of communication and creativity that a student can be exposed to are tremendously beneficial. Many students are not exposed to anything other than what is taught in the classroom, which is why bringing student-center technology into the classroom is essential to students who need a bit more exposure to the world and what they will need to survive in it. The negative side to this exposure is exposing the student to too many devices and/or to much technology. Overwhelming the student to the point where he or she is reluctant to utilize the resources that can be found in or within technology, defeats the purpose of the student-centered lessons. One way a teacher can avoid this is by utilizing the technology they have in mind using in the lesson plans as they are composing the lesson plans for the students. A pre-run at a lesson plan can help the teacher become aware of any problems that may arise at the time of the lesson before exposing the students to the problems.
Concluding Paragraph
Differentiating instruction to meet a student-centered lesson can effectively be done by utilizing technology like preloaded software, online-based tools, and iPods, iPads, and iPhones. Keeping in mind that the outcome should be the development of a student at all times can help makes these tools a great resource to find and provide the individual needs of the students successfully.
Written by Raul R. Luna
References:
iPads in the Classroom for Literacy Instruction. (2011).
ISTE Standard: Students. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf
Knill, O. (n.d.). Benefits and Risks of Media and Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/pedagogy/benefits/paper.pdf
Smith, K. L., & Kolosick, J. T. (1996). The Shift to a Learner-Centered University: New Roles for Faculty, Students, and Technology.
Technology to Support Communication
Photo courtesy of pixbay.com
There is no denying the major advances that technology has made over the past 3 decades. It is evolving quickly and with it, future generations. Generations that we hope to soon educate. Technology does have its down falls, some of which contains information that is not suitable or desirable in the classroom. However, knowing which tools to utilize and having a clear understanding of how to use them will benefit the teaching and learning experience within the classroom forum and most importantly influence how teachers, students, and parents communicate to come closer to achieving the level of excellence that is expected from students. The Tools mentioned immediate below are three tools that can enhance communication, not only between teachers, students, and parents, but can help these parties be a part of a global community. The three tools are Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia.
All in all, Facebook was created to bring people closer together by staying in touch with one another at the convenience of their fingertips. By this simple definition of Facebook, teachers and parents can utilize this forum to post reminders, upcoming events, and message one another about a student’s needs, accomplishments, and progress. Another usage for Facebook that most people do not know about is that there are tools within Facebook that can be used as a resource for the classroom. One in particular is Facebook Group Pages. In an English class, for example, resources for feedback, in the past, strictly remained between the teacher and the student and occasionally, among peers. However, with Facebook Group Pages, “with its multi-modal tools, they are highly dialogic with a potential for quick feedback” (Ekoc 20). This is not only helpful for a student to see and progress from feedback but it is also a chance for a parent to witness the progress of the student’s assignment and literacy. Along with this usefulness arises a global community. Within this forum, the student will receive feedback from people all over the world and will help him or her establish a sense of identity.
Identity, in its simplest form, is the premise of Twitter. There is a face and sporadic thoughts that accompany it. If used wisely, this can be an excellent tool to communicate with the masses. “Twitter is organized as “feed Style news bulletins, which convey up to 140 characters that users can monitor” (Jacquemin 22). Like Facebook, this can be used for communicating events or last minute changes, but in a classroom it can be used to announce and send the student helpful academic resources for their assignments. By doing so, this will ease need to fulfill this within the short time frame of class. This forum has other added benefits. “In the classroom, this can facilitate students following professional societies, organizations, or faculty, as well as contributing discussion points or questions across the networking” (Jacquemin 22). This is beneficial for the students networking but can also become an outlet for parents to have a better understanding of the network, or global community, their children are involved in and in return, monitor the links between their children’s networking communities and ending them if seemed unreliable.
Unreliable has been the main adjective used to explain Wikipedia. Due to its open nature of letting the public edit the encyclopedia-based site, many teachers have been reluctant to authorize students to use Wikipedia in their classwork (Nix 1). This very nature of the site is one of the main reasons why teachers should incorporate it into their classrooms. Sometimes by leaning what not to do, students can better grasp the idea of what they should be doing. Letting students experiment in this site will give them a better understanding of what is really out there in terms of reliable information. This can open the channels of communication about reliability of content on the Internet between the teacher and the student, from the student to the parent. Giving everyone a better understanding of the global community they become a part of when utilizing technology.
Utilizing technology and its tools are seen as a way to enhance learning and provide beneficial experience for all students (Flair 1). Be it as it may, they are only beneficial if there is a clear understanding of Internet security and safety. It maybe difficult for parents to have an open conversation with their children about this topic due to fear that by warning them of the dangers of the Internet it might actually spark interest to explore them. One simple way of teaching children to avoid the dark side of the Internet is by incorporating proper internet/research etiquette into lesson plans without the student actually being aware of it. Nonetheless, the conversation about warning children of the dangers has to take place eventually, but this way, the teacher and the parent allow themselves some time to have that conversation when the student is actually able to fully understand the premise of it.
Utilizing tools that technology has to offer can greatly benefit communication between teachers, students, and parents and can help them better understand the global community they become a part of when they enter the internet realm. Utilizing social media outlets, like Facebook and Twitter, and online peer edited encyclopedias like Wikipedia, can help these parties stay better connected and on the same page in respect to education.
Written by Raul R. Luna
References
Ekoc, Arzu. “Facebook Groups As A Supporting Tool For Language Classrooms.” Turkish Online Journal Of Distance Education (TOJDE) 15.3 (2014): 18-26. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Flair, Isaiah. “Technology In Education.” Salem Press Encyclopedia (2014): Research Starters. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Jacquemin, Stephen J.1, stephen.jacquemin@wright.edu, Lisa K.2 Smelser, and Melody J.3 Bernot. “Twitter In The Higher Education Classroom: A Student And Faculty Assessment Of Use And Perception.” Journal Of College Science Teaching 43.6 (2014): 22-27. OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Nix, Elizabeth M. “Wikipedia: How It Works And How It Can Work For You.” History Teacher 43.2 (2010): 259-264. Education Research Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Presentation Technology
Courtesy of administratorconnection.blogspot.com
Introduction
Being able to communicate at a student’s level is the key to teaching them and that is why integrating technology into the classroom is important. Today’s students look to technology as a resource, some maybe aware of it and others not so much. To be able to reach them, teachers must first learn where their students have turned to in the past to collect information and teach themselves to use that same technology. Tablets computers, iPods and Smart boards have been great resources in the classroom and have proven to stimulate students by enhancing instruction. Along with benefiting the students, teachers have also learned how much easier these very same resources have benefited their workload and classroom management as well.
Tablet Computers
Before the tablet, we teachers relied on computers and over-head projectors. Although both great pieces of technologies, one thing they both lack were mobility. Mobile technologies are highly motivating and more engaging than traditional classroom tools (Gerald p. 93). Allowing students to not only utilize mobile devices, such as a tablet, but also allowing them to take them home with them extends the classroom environment into the student’s home. Making, what was once recreational time, a learning environment. Monitoring the student’s efforts and accomplishments are also a benefit of utilizing mobile devices. A teacher can see the students work in real time and not have to wait until a paper is completed, turned it, and graded to measure their efforts. If a child is misguided or needs extra help with an assignment, the teacher now has to option to email the student or the parent before the project of assignment is completed.
IPods
Another portable device is the IPod. An added benefit to this device can be that most students already own them. Incorporating this device into a classroom has many benefits, but one in particular, is being able to personalize a lesson and the student having access to that lesson everywhere he or she goes. “By creating their own podcasts and videos, a teacher can ensure that the information contained in a video or podcast is appropriate to their lesson” (Miller P. 13). An added bonus to using iPods and creating podcast is that the teacher has the opportunity to include the student to the formation of the podcast itself. Through contributing in the creation of class podcasts, students are better able to buy-in to their studies (Miller P. 13).
Interactive Smart Board (100 words)
A great tool that can be used in cohesiveness with the IPod and a tablet is the Interactive Smart Board. “The large size and touch-sensitive display allow for easy navigation and make it suitable for group activity” (Martin P. 92). The reason why it would benefit the classroom is because they seem to invite collaboration through social interaction and communication (P. 92). Social interaction and communication is an important element in the classroom. If a student is not comfortable communicating his input or his lack of understanding, the chance of the teacher finding out what that student’s needs are might be when the lesson is over and the student has received a bad grade. Opening the channels of conversation within the lesson is what this piece of technology does, it helps the teacher also tailor the lesson if need be at that exact moment.
Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Learning
The main benefit of utilizing technology in the classroom is being able to communicate, engage, and teach at the student’s level. The world of technology of is ever changing, as are the students. The job of the teacher is to evolve with the students and the tools they will need to be successful in their futures. The downfall of incorporating technology in the classroom can be if the teacher fails to participate in the learning of the functions of said pieces of technology. Not only will the lack of understanding affect the lesson plan, which in return effects time management with in the classroom, but a growth of resistance towards new technology will evolve. This type of frustration will then turn the teacher away from the tools that are need to teach the students to succeed is todays career markets.
Wired and Wireless Classrooms
Wired classrooms lack of portability constricts the student to having to learn in a specific location, making out of classroom learning less probable. The portability that wireless classrooms have to offer allows instructors and students to extend learning beyond its traditional classroom boundaries to other locations that make greater sense (Blackwell P. 233). Allowing the student to learn at their pace, at their convenience, makes the student more engaged and more likely to understand the lessons and assignments. The teacher is also allowed to teach unrestrained to his or her podium through technology, which makes them even more resourceful than before.
Conclusion
Great technology based resources, such as tablets, iPods, and Interactive Smart Boards can be an excellent addition to a classroom to enhance instruction. They can engage a student in a way that only technology can because of his or hers pre-exposure to them outside of the classroom. By utilizing these resources, teachers can reach students at their level of comfort.
Written by Raul R. Luna
References
Blackwell, C. (2013). Teacher Practices With Mobile Technology Integration Tablet Computers Into Early Childhood Classrooms. Journal Of Education Research, 7(4), 231-255.
Gerard, J. G., Knott, M. J., & Lederman, R. E. (2012). Three Examples Using Tablet Technology in an Active Learning Classroom: Strategies for Active Learning Course Design Using Tablet Technology. Global Education Journal, 2012(4), 91-114.
Martin, S. f., Shaw, E., & Daughenbaugh, L. (2014). Using Smart Boards and Manipulatives in the Elementary Science Classroom. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 58(3), 90-96.
Miller, K. A. (2013). Inspiring Technology use through Research: iPods in the Agriculture Classroom. Agricultural Education Magazine, 85(6), 12-14.
Mr. Luna's Classroom 