As a teacher, I feel that technology plays a huge role in the classroom. Every student that is in a classroom is going to have different strengths and different weaknesses and there is no way that a teacher can be an effective educator without the use of technological aides. These assistive techniques and items give children a level playing field and allow students who previously were on the fringe of the classroom to actively participate. Technological items such as a pencil grip, fraction bars, Tango, and Alpha Smart are but a small core group of items that make teaching more effective and allow students to work on their weaknesses, as well as giving students with learning difficulties the ability to succeed.
In any single classroom, there will always be a child that needs more help than others. Assistive techniques allow children who are struggling to work at their own pace. For example, the Tango program gives children who have trouble with language a chance to work on voice inflections, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The students who use this do not have to deal with the pressure that comes from trying to keep up with the class but can take their time and truly learn the concepts. These forms of technology allow the children to set the pace, giving them the time and practice that a teacher sometimes cannot supply. Computer software programs do the same thing. These technological aides have access to limitless computer software programs that teach lessons in a fun, interactive way that children love. Anyone can use these, which is perfect in the classroom. The more advanced students simply move on to the more difficult things while the students who struggle can move a slower pace. Therefore, even the more advanced students can be challenged when using these programs because these programs are individualized and have many levels. There are also many simple tools that I can use in my classroom such as pencil grips, which help children develop fine motor skills,word processing, for children who have trouble writing, or audio books, for children who have trouble reading. These assistive techniques open doors that were previously closed to teachers because, with these new advances, teachers can engage their students and make lessons more interactive and exciting. They teach children who have disabilities but can also be used to challenge the more advanced children, making sure that they stay busy and engaged.
As a teacher, I feel that these tools are important. I know that there will be times that children will need more practice with a concept or skill. By introducing these aides to the children, I will have more time to help individuals and will be able to give the students that are struggling a little more practice and instruction. By using the aides, all of my children can participate and feel good about themselves. Even children who have disabilities will be able to succeed. Devices such as Tango allow children to develop their communication and language skills that they need in a fun, interactive way. By using these devices, children will gain self-confidence and will be more eager to participate because there will be no fear of failure. My students will succeed and hopefully, due to the tools that I used, such as the aides, and my teaching abilities, they will be able to appreciate learning and will enjoy school!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The 21st century teacher
I believe that being an educator in the 21st century means being prepared to teach with various resources, including technology, in order to engage students. Using technology that students use daily and incorporating them into daily lesson plans will make students feel more engaged and maybe more actively involved because they feel that they are learning something valuable and something tangible that they can take with them and use later on.
Students have developed incredible skills with computers, ipods and other electronics. They use computers daily and are incredibly proficient. If teachers want to make their students more involved and better learners, computers and other electronic devices are, in the 21st century, necessary. The computer has connections to many programs, all of which are geared toward learning. These programs are often fun, combining lessons with games, intriguing students. These programs also are often individually based so that if someone is struggling, they can continue to work a little longer at the area that is giving them the most difficulty. Using the computer gives students access to a lot of information and also connects students to people around the world, allowing them to communicate and to share information easily and quickly. Furthermore, if teachers use the computers and technology, they are enabling their students to learn something that will stay with them forever.
By making exciting lesson plans that incorporate their skills on computers and ipods, teachers are guaranteeing that students will be more actively involved. For example,
on one of the youtube videos, people talked about using ipods for their lessons. Kids could all bring in their ipods and pick a song, listen to the lyrics, and then use the message of that song or a lyric to write a creative piece of literature based on that theme. By doing this, the teacher is actively involving the student. They are more motivated because they can be creative and they were able to maybe pick a song that related to their lives, therefore connecting life and reality with schoolwork. The assignment would be completely theirs. This would also teach students to link things that happen in their personal lives to events in history or other subjects.
To be an effective teacher in the 21st century, teachers must use all sorts of resources to get students more interested. In this time and era, there are so many things to do and so many forms of entertainment that it is hard to make kids excited about learning but if teachers would take something personal and connect it to school, they might be able to get the kids interested. In high school, a lot of busy work is given and many students get frustrated with this, thinking there is no purpose in the homework. To be an effective teacher in the 21st century where students are busy with video games, movies, social time, sports, music and all of the other extra curricular activities available, they have to come up with ideas that grab the student’s attention and how better to do that than with the very items that are making kids pay less and less attention to school. It is no longer acceptable for teachers in the 21st century to use the lecture format in school. Kids in this century want to be heard. They have been raised to think and to have opinions and when teachers simply lecture, they have no chance and their voices are stifled and many tune out and don't listen. More creative projects, hands on ideas, and progressive teaching are needed. Kids need to be treated as equals and as young adults who have good ideas. Being more productive and having a more open classroom, where there is lots of discussion enables the students to get involved and to take part in their education. The role of the 21st century teacher is no longer like a parent giving advice and information to kids but has changed to a more Socrates method where the kids use their own knowledge to decide for themselves, making them think and link.
Therefore, it is the duty of the 21st century teacher to incorporate the items and interests that students have outside the classroom and bring them into the classroom in order to engage them more so that they don’t lose them. They need to have a more progressive classroom in which the students have more control in the learning process and in which the students can experience making their own decisions and backing it up with facts. Technology will get their attention and then teachers must hold it by having a room that is open to new interpretations and creative outlooks.
Students have developed incredible skills with computers, ipods and other electronics. They use computers daily and are incredibly proficient. If teachers want to make their students more involved and better learners, computers and other electronic devices are, in the 21st century, necessary. The computer has connections to many programs, all of which are geared toward learning. These programs are often fun, combining lessons with games, intriguing students. These programs also are often individually based so that if someone is struggling, they can continue to work a little longer at the area that is giving them the most difficulty. Using the computer gives students access to a lot of information and also connects students to people around the world, allowing them to communicate and to share information easily and quickly. Furthermore, if teachers use the computers and technology, they are enabling their students to learn something that will stay with them forever.
By making exciting lesson plans that incorporate their skills on computers and ipods, teachers are guaranteeing that students will be more actively involved. For example,
on one of the youtube videos, people talked about using ipods for their lessons. Kids could all bring in their ipods and pick a song, listen to the lyrics, and then use the message of that song or a lyric to write a creative piece of literature based on that theme. By doing this, the teacher is actively involving the student. They are more motivated because they can be creative and they were able to maybe pick a song that related to their lives, therefore connecting life and reality with schoolwork. The assignment would be completely theirs. This would also teach students to link things that happen in their personal lives to events in history or other subjects.
To be an effective teacher in the 21st century, teachers must use all sorts of resources to get students more interested. In this time and era, there are so many things to do and so many forms of entertainment that it is hard to make kids excited about learning but if teachers would take something personal and connect it to school, they might be able to get the kids interested. In high school, a lot of busy work is given and many students get frustrated with this, thinking there is no purpose in the homework. To be an effective teacher in the 21st century where students are busy with video games, movies, social time, sports, music and all of the other extra curricular activities available, they have to come up with ideas that grab the student’s attention and how better to do that than with the very items that are making kids pay less and less attention to school. It is no longer acceptable for teachers in the 21st century to use the lecture format in school. Kids in this century want to be heard. They have been raised to think and to have opinions and when teachers simply lecture, they have no chance and their voices are stifled and many tune out and don't listen. More creative projects, hands on ideas, and progressive teaching are needed. Kids need to be treated as equals and as young adults who have good ideas. Being more productive and having a more open classroom, where there is lots of discussion enables the students to get involved and to take part in their education. The role of the 21st century teacher is no longer like a parent giving advice and information to kids but has changed to a more Socrates method where the kids use their own knowledge to decide for themselves, making them think and link.
Therefore, it is the duty of the 21st century teacher to incorporate the items and interests that students have outside the classroom and bring them into the classroom in order to engage them more so that they don’t lose them. They need to have a more progressive classroom in which the students have more control in the learning process and in which the students can experience making their own decisions and backing it up with facts. Technology will get their attention and then teachers must hold it by having a room that is open to new interpretations and creative outlooks.
First day of sophmore year, 1st semester
Today is the day! Classes started and summer has just officially ended. I am now a sophomore at the University of Farmington and the year is already starting out extremely busy but fun. Yesterday I unpacked for school and for a while, I thought that I would never stop unpacking but after three hours, everything was put away. Now, everything is in its designated space and the room is clean and practically sparkling- a good start for the year. Summer was great this year and I am certainly sad to see that it is over but hopefully they will just continue to get better!
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