Adaptive Uses of Technology in the Classroom
As we have been exploring the variety of ways to use technology in the classroom, I have found the website and multi-modal presentations to be the most helpful. While I came to this course knowing plenty about classroom applications for Promethean Board, ActiVotes, and other “Smart” technology, the various web-based applications and tools that we have been introduced to has given me a much wider appreciation for the role that technology does, and can, play in our classrooms.
As we have discussed new literacies in this class, I have clung on to one of the first readings we did in which William Kist said “text is anything that communicates; a garden is a text” (Kist 111). This statement really resonated with me because of its authenticity with regards to our students’ lives. The fact is, as we move into the wired age, everything around us must be ‘read’ critically as a text. Billboards, t-shirts, magazine and web page ads, Facebook and Twitter posts, all of these are examples of texts that our students must be able to interpret as contributing members of both society and our economy. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” has never rung more true, as many advertisements today don’t even look like they’re selling anything. There can be no words on a page, just a picture of Hayden Panettiere in a red dress with a milk mustache, and the ad basically screams “DYE YOUR HAIR BLONDE, WORK OUT, WEAR SEXY RED CLOTHING, AND FOR GOD SAKES DRINK YOUR MILK!!!” If students cannot critically read the world around them, they cannot make intelligent decisions about what to buy, who to emulate, how to act, or what to do.
So, how do I use technology in my classroom to teach t...
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As technology continues to play an ever-increasing role in our students’ day-to-day lives, we must continue to find new and engaging ways to adapt our lessons to include technology. However, we must not use technology solely to keep students engaged, we must also have students use technology to gain practice in the authentic technological skills that will be required of them as they move on to college or enter the work-force. Basic skills like writing/formatting a paper, conducting scholarly research, and navigating the labyrinth that is the world wide web, are all skills that every student we have will eventually need in the future and that we as English teachers must continue to incorporate into our lesson planning.
References
Kist, W. (2005). New literacies in action: Teaching and learning in multiple media.
New York: Teachers College Press..
“Technology has provided the opportunity to create an entirely new learning environment; it has significantly increased the range and sophistication of possible classroom activities” (Hawkins 1997). The vast majority of youths today, grow up with computers and encounter some form of digital learning (Kolikant, 2009). The idea that has had the most impact is that the technology today will be outpaced by the next generation. Most of the technology seen today will never be used by an infant when he reaches school age.
In the Wall Street Journal article, “Does Technology Belong in Classroom Instruction,” Lisa Neilson and José Antonio Bowen take opposing sides to the topic of technology being integrated into instructional material. Neilson argues that instructing students on using technology appropriately and effectively can benefit and prepare students for the fast paced future. She claims that the use of electronics in the classroom encourages students to expand their knowledge of assignments and improves their literacy. Neilson states that students use their digital devices to upload English papers and receive feedback from people all around the world, conducting virtual dissections, and utilizing resources to further their understanding (Neilson, 2015).
In her essay “Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention,” Cynthia L. Selfe notes that “technology is either boring or frightening to most humanists; many teachers of English composition feel it antithetical to their primary concerns and many believe it should not be allowed to take up valuable scholarly time or the attention that could be best put to use in teaching or the study of literacy” (Self 412). Looking around campus it takes little time to verify Selfe’s caution about indifference to computers: except in its uses as “a simple tool that individual faculty members can use or ignore in their classrooms as they choose” (Self 414), computer use has been, and for the most part still is, nascent within the humanities. As computers increasingly become an irreplaceable part of daily life in modern culture, however, more and more instructors attempt to carry out the task of incorporating technology into the pedagogical techniques of their disciplines. Over the past four months I’ve had the invaluable opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at one particular attempt to integrate computers and writing instruction. In Dr. Will Hochman’s English 101-43 (SP 2003) classroom I’ve learned much about both the process and underlying philosophies involved in making computers a productive classroom tool.
Before the age of the internet, smart phones, and computers, students relied on their school and local library to gather information for research projects. Prior to 1994, communication by phone was done by voice and dialing digits (Noeth, 2004). The inception of text messaging digitized our way of sending short quick messages to one another without the formality of hello and goodbye. With the advancement of computers and technology overall, the medium in which educators would present learning material has evolved to the point of having any fact or subject within seconds of an internet search. It is well document that the use of technology will increase students’ academic level and engagement to produce better outcomes (Perrotta, 2013). Furthermore, schools have traditionally been slow to adapt to the new technologies being introduced to the corporate world, and is imperative that they keep up with this pace in order to prepare today’s student for tomorrow’s advancement’s.
Technology is growing every day. We use technology for everything we do, sometimes without even thinking about it. In our world, these advancements are used for communicating, entertainment, and education as well as others. Since technology is so ingrained into our lives, how much we use and depend on it is often not thought about. Our education system is on the front end of using new technology in classrooms. More and more class room and teachers are weaving it into their lesson plans and making it more available for students to use in the classroom. Technology is changing the way students are educated in America and across the world. In this paper I will discuss several ways that this can be seen and improved.
Using technology as a part of the classroom permits understudies to trial more in the instructional method. Undergraduates using a laptop or smartphone can find countless resources, which making learning more fun and effective. Understudies can learn life skill through technology, such as making presentations, figuring out how to separate dependable from untrustworthy sources on the internet, keeping up appropriate online etiquette, and composing emails. These are all indispensable aptitudes that the understudies can learn in the classroom and master before graduation. In the Teaching politics beyond the book stated, “Benefits of technology can include enhanced learning, community-building, and increased student engagement in learning materials” (Glover & Tagliarina, 2014,
Technology in classrooms is affecting our culture in great ways. A lot of people who can not go to college at the sites can do classes online. More than three-quarters of America’s colleges and universities now have online classes available. Approximately one in four college graduates, or 23%, have taken an online course. This helps you get the degrees you need at your own time rate. This is helping people get better careers day by day. Technology is not only great for the purpose of people who are out of high school, it’s great for high school students as well. During class time some students tend to fall behind and end up not understanding the subject matter completely. At this point in time with the use of computers that schools and families have students can use the comp...
This week's task is to identify a technology for classroom use that will improve students learning, make curriculum more meaningful and provide opportunities for my students to actively engage with technology in a meaningful way. My classroom has a Smart Board that was installed in the spring of 2011. It is wonderful for displaying information, taking notes, showing videos and photos that relate to the curriculum. However, students have a more limited interaction with it as a direct learning tool. I would have to admit that it is more a teacher centered tool than it is a student centered use of technology. After researching the Smart Board's available resources and tools, I found the technology that I would like to incorporate in my classroom. SMART Response™ interactive response system PE.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that
Technology is becoming more and more dominant in our society.Everyday upgrades are being made and new innovations are being discovered. Technology is all around us whether we want it to be or not: it is the vehicles we drive, it can be found in our homes, and can even be found in the grocery store.Every place we look there is some type of technology.I believe technology has had a major impact on our school systems and is still impacting it today.There are those who do not agree, though, that technology has impacted our schools.Eric Gormly writes, “In fact, many theorists point out the overall impact of technology on education has been quite small, manifesting little discernible change in the classroom.” [1]Yes, there are some schools that are not as advanced as others, but many of them do have a significant amount of technology in them.I find it fascinating that so much technology has been incorporated into our classrooms, but I believe that, even with all of the positive aspects that are associated with technology, there are some negative and even dangerous aspects that should be taken into account.I will be sharing some of the equipment that has been used in the schools, how both the students and the teachers use the equipment, and also the positive and negative effects that technology has had on our schools.
Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).
It is very hard not to realize that technology has overpowered education in many ways. “Technology integration is similar to a tidal wave, growing silently in strength, then falling with an unstoppable roar upon those who paid no attention or showed little interest” (Guhlin, 40). Nowadays, computers are almost considered a necessity in the classroom, and are the main component of technology integration. Computers are being used in more numerous ways, besides only being used for basic word processing. With a simple computer, copious availabilities of technologies can be used in the classroom. “The one thing that is so great about the computer is that it does give a lot of instruction--and you don't need to have hearing to take advantage of it” (Anderson, 12). It’s amazing how one simple screen can provide everlasting opportunity for learning.
The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future.
Teachers of today’s classrooms have been using various ways of technology to teach, help, and aid their students in learning whether it’s by using phones, computers, Internet, etc. How have the advancements of modern technology in the classrooms of today affected the way students think and learn? Technology has been advancing rapidly over the last few decades, and it has been impacting the entire world and even the educational systems. Today’s technology use is changing and affecting the way that students learn in school in a positive manner. The power of the Internet is giving students a quick way of finding information, new technological tools for the students to develop their learning skills, and increasing students’ motivation while developing their problem-solving skills. These three benefits will demonstrate evidence to why technology is influencing students in a good way.
In less than a decade, computer use progressed from programming classes for a few of the better students, to literacy classes for all students, to the integration of computers and technology into the curriculum. Now, there is a goal for educators to use technology as a tool in efforts to teach more effectively by using a variety of strategies to meet different needs in a diverse classroom. This will take training and commitment to keep up in an area that changes quickly, but the benefits to teachers and students are greater that the effort it will take to stay informed; computers increase productivity of students and make learning a fun experience. They help students become better problem-solvers instead of just rote learners.