Feedback on the class Technology in the Classroom

After hearing the horror stories of people that had taken this class online, I am pleasantly relieved to find that the in class version is educational, functional and extremely successful from my point of view. This is the second technology related education class I have taken. The first technology class I took dealt with more of how to create videos, podcasts, blogs, websites and use a projector yet there was not much room for discussion. After being in this class for two months and being able to read and discuss about technologies that are being used in the class, technology safety and new ways for educating our future students it brings what I learned in that first class together and puts it into a much more clear and precise manner.
This class has taught me not to always think that technology in the classroom is only good or bad. It has also taught me that one must be fully equip and educated on how to use different technologies and what purposes they can serve. Lastly I have learned that there is a time and place for technology and there is a time and place for hands on old fashion teaching. What I have learned in this class will not only help me as a teacher, it will benefit my future students and myself as a student forever learning and increasing my knowledge.

Smartboards Effectiveness

With classes needing to rush through curriculums and teaching to test so that there is no time left for any other teaching, tools that make the flow from one source of information to another faster and easier are definitely needed. So much precious time is wasted in classroom from teachers struggling with bringing up a video, warming up projectors, taking a poll or simply writing a bunch of notes on the board. With the invention of Smartboards that precious time can be used for actually teaching a lesson. And not just teaching a lesson where a teacher talks and students write notes. A lesson that is interactive, uses different modes of teaching, evaluating knowledge and getting students motivated is all achievable with Smartboards.

As a future teacher I fully support the use and inclusion of the Smartboard in classrooms. While keeping students engaged and teaching to different types of learners a teacher that utilizes a Smartboard is also educating students on technology and its uses. At the school where I am now doing observations for Fieldwork all regular classroom teachers have this innovative technology. Yet the art teacher with whom is my cooperating teacher does not have one. Nor does she have a projector. The old school white board she has is no more than three feet wide. Not much space for a class based on drawing and visual arts. Videos that demonstrate a project or art technique must be watched on a laptop as 20 students sit crisscrossed on the tile floor. A Smartboard would provide more time for a class that only meets 45 minutes once a week as well as a better view and way to view videos, pieces of famous work and notes or guidelines for a particular project. Smartboards should be embraced, used (properly) and provided to all types of teacher no matter what the content area may be.

Podcasting in the Classroom

After reading this article I can definitely see how something like Podcasting mixed with iTunes and people all around the world caring about it can be exciting for students to do. I can see how students would be engaged and wanting to do these types of projects and lessons. My only concern is that Podcasting is becoming obsolete in todays Technology world. Yet students in an Elementary or even Middle school might not care or even know about the popularity of podcasting.

One of the key aspects I enjoy about integrating Podcasting into a classroom is that it gives students a voice. Students want to be heard and listened to and Podcasts are the perfect tool to make that possible. From past experiences with younger cousins, my work at a daycare/Preschool and my observations in an Elementary school children just want to talk. So if children can talk about what they are learning in school that is like killing two birds with one stone. With podcasting and school all parties are happy and educated!

My Technology Autobiography

Technology is a big part in my life just as it is a big part in most people's lives. The top three technologies in my life are most likely my car, my iphone and my television. I chose these three because these are the three I come in contact with the most and use the most.

My car, Roxanne who is a red 95' Honda Civic Coupe LX has been in my life for six years. Although not new and not without problems I love my car and also need my car. Roxanne has driven me to high school, college, home, work, concerts, family functions, etc while allowing myself to be more independent. These are the ways my car has helped me, my car has also hindered me in terms of my wallet, my lack of excursive and my dependancy on having my vehicle. Now as for my iPhone that I have only had for about a year or so has indeed helped and hindered me in many ways. Having an iPhone keeps me in touch with my family, friends, boyfriend, classmates and colleagues. It also keeps me updated on my emails, Facebook, twitter and other networking tools; which can be seen as helping and also hurting people's social and interactive skills. My phone has helped me in emergencies of being lost, without a ride, in need of finding out information found on the internet. Yet it has hindered my focus at times, my independence, my problem solving and even social skills. As for my television it has helped me relax, gain knowledge on what is happening in the world on the news, it has introduced me to influential and inspirational films, documentaries, etc. Although it has made me a better procrastinator, more of a couch potato, has gotten in the way of experiences going on in the outside world.

As I now look at both sides of the spectrum, the pros and the cons of the biggest technologies in my life I think it is all how we use those technologies to either help or hurt. If we create an equal balance or stop and notice the pros and cons of our technological dependancies than they can be used more efficiently and affectively.

"National Ed Tech Plan Puts Technology at the Heart of Education Reform"

National Ed Tech Plan Put Technology at the Heart of Educational Reform. Written by David Nagel

Response to the article:

Nagel first states to us that the initial version of Obama's Administration on the National Educational Technology Plan (NETP). This first draft of the NETP stated that school days and years will be longer, internet access will be incorporated more into the curriculum, yet there will be flexibility in "seat time," and of course a greater emphasis on assessment. In my honest opinion this just sounds like the same thing that has been happening in schools already. Yes new technologies are being introduced and used in schools, yes assessments and standardized tests are being weighed more greatly, so I do not really see much positive change in this new plan. To me they are not making a very good effort in trying to truly fix and strengthen education in America. This new plan to me sounds and looks just like the No Child Left Behind Act with technology thrown into it to make it seems new, fancy and wonderful. 

Now I do believe that technology can be used to teach students more efficiently, in more interesting ways, and improve their technological skills yet by sticking a "classroom clicker" in every students hand does not mean they are being assessed properly and does not mean they learning, the students could just be guessing and hitting buttons at random. Short answers, projects, discussions, etc these are ways to assess that tell us more about the knowledge our students have about the lesson I just taught. Just like in my first blog about the school Kyrene which spent millions and millions of dollars on technology yet the students test scores were lower and classroom sizes were higher. I believe that I can teach my students more if i have less of them with little or no technology than if i had double the amount and they all had clickers and iPads. 

Under category 3 (learning) of the plan it states "The emphasis in the category of learning is a shift toward student engagement and empowerment in their learning activities "in and out of school that prepare them to be active, creative, knowledgeable, and ethical participants in our globally networked society." This is the only part of the plan I have read that I agreed with. Yet does engaging and empowering our students mean we can only do so by giving them a smart phone? Teachers should be empowering their students by the manner in which they teach their students to learn. Teachers are caregivers, nurturers, authoritarians, knowledge builders, empowerment builders and much much more!  

"NETP is calling on schools to adopt models from the business world to increase productivity" when schools are being called businesses and students are thought of as workers or managers like in Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol, that is when you know that the people making these plans do not know what needs to be done and should not be dealing and medalling with education. 

In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores. The New York Times

In the article In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores located in The New York Times speaks about technology in the classroom and the lowering of test scores. In my opinion just because technology is being used in the classroom does not necessarily mean that the students are learning more which in turn means their test scores will raise. The growth of learning depends on the teacher, the subject, the lesson, curriculum and how the teacher is enhancing those necessities with the technology they are given. Just because a class is given fancy new tablets, boards and computers does not mean that they are automatically retaining and learning new important information. Yes it will improve their technological skills but not necessarily their knowledge on the subject matter they are being "taught." Matt Richtel the author of this article states "say digital devices let students learn at their own pace, teach skills needed in a modern economy and hold the attention of a generation weaned on gadgets," yes these are all very substantial and legitimate reasons why technology in the classroom is beneficial but why not use that money towards better teachers, newer books, field trips or after school reading and math aids. New technology is wonderful but it goes to waste if the teachers that have the access for it are not using to their students advantage. 

In the article Richtel informs the reader that Kyrene a town that has spent a ghastly amount of money of technology now has larger classrooms and fewer classes of art, music and gym. As a future are teacher I know the importance and benefits that Art and Music can bring a child. Kyrene says that their students have grown from the use of technology in the classroom, it is just that standardized tests do not test those skills. I see the pros and cons with standardized test and agree they do not test on many important subjects like art and music. Although standardized tests are here to stay from what the educational world can see so schools need to cater more towards these tests while trying not to lose all other areas of education like technology, physical education, art, and music. School systems and educators need to have a more balanced curriculum. I do believe that technology should be apart of the classroom and that it does help a lesson plan run more smoothly and allows children to learn those skills about technology because that is what kind of skills are going to be useful to them in the real world. Yet math, reading, art, etc. teach important skills that students will need in the real world as well. When it comes to technology and also standardized tests one has to be very cautious. You do not want to teach too much of one subject or skill to the point where it negatively affects another and i believe that is what has to be looked at much more closely in Kyrene and other schools like it. 

As a future art teacher I believe in the importance of learning something hands on. A student may want to be a famous Graphic Design artist but a graphic designer must first know the fundamentals of art including drawing, painting, sculpting, etc. This reminds me of how many schools are not teaching penmanship any more, to me that is disheartening. By the time I have children of my own and they are attending school will they be able to write their own name in cursive, or at all for that matter? Technology is a wonderful but too much of a good thing can be bad! They say one of the benefits of technology is so students can learn at their own pace but what if that student is on Facebook, or playing a game of solitaire or looking up funny videos on youtube; that child is not learning anything if you ask me. I would rather have fewer students and fewer laptops and teach my kids the art skills that will build their imagination, creative skills and critical thinking than have more students will laptop lights lighting up their faces and they are not gaining any creative skills or using their imagination in anyway. Like I stated before everything in moderation and everything that is used to it's students fullest potential.