Given the impact of technology in the classroom today, what do you think tomorrow's classroom will look like and how will you as an educator adapt to it? Do you think that technology is a good think for the classroom? Feel free to talk about laptops in classrooms, clickers, ipads, and smartboards as well as whatever else you would like to talk about because honestly each of you have different technology needs and issues simply because we are coming from different school zones and districts with different budgets and resources.
I think technology is a great innovation to integrate into classrooms to help teachers engage their students into learning the required material. Clickers make it easier for teacher to grade and to have pop quizzes to see where their students are in the lesson and what material the teacher need to re-review with the students. Smart boards and laptops allow students and teachers to interact on the same level and contribute to the learning process. I know these resources can be hard to come by for some school systems, so some students may not be able to experience technology in their classrooms, but overall I think all schools should try their hardest to gain technology in their classrooms to help students learn. This is also a great way for students to learn real world techniques and tools (that will help them in job/college hunting) by using the newest technology available.
ReplyDeleteLet me first say that I love to use technology (when it is working properly) in the classroom. The problem with technology is that it can be rather expensive to stay on top of the latest software and devices because they are always changing and upgrading. Initially I was going to say that I could kind of see the classroom evolving in such a way that even at the elementary level all students had a laptop to work from, that assignments could be completed and submitted through online modules...however I do not believe that the paper and pencil will ever become completely obsolete.
ReplyDeleteI believe technology use in the classroom is not just a good thing but also a necessary thing. Our society is being controlled more and more by technology. Therefore, if we are going to prepare our students for life, we need to prepare them for working with technology. I left the classroom several years ago, and when I returned I was amazed to see how much technology had been acquired for use by the students. The school I assist in has Smartboards in every classroom and has Droid tablets and a laptop station that can be shared by the classrooms. I believe that as the technology becomes more affordable, more will be acquired. I believe books and pencils will always have a place in the classroom, but I believe the classroom of tomorrow will have a number of technological options for students and teachers as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a elementary student we used the chalk board, then made our way to the dry erase board, and now as a teacher the dry erase board is on its way out and smart boards are taking over. Technology is an esential element to creating life long learners and as a teacher we must adjust to meet the technology needs of our students. Successful life long learners need to be technology proficient.
ReplyDeleteTechnology plays a large role in effectively teaching students in today's classrooms. Unfortunately, we are often limited in what we can do with technology due to a lack of access to computers in the schools and, sometimes, even at home. Yes, smartboards are fantastic but simply having a smartboard in each classroom is not really enough to meet the educational needs of the modern student. I think that each classroom should have a set of laptops for student usage. That way the students could do assignments and activities on the computer, could participate in blogs and wikis, and could effectively collaborate with other students.
ReplyDeleteWe now have the MacBooks in Baldwin County, and it is working well for me so far in the classroom. I let kids take notes on them (not all teachers do), and circulate constantly throughout when not lecturing so as to monitor activity. I have had to create a policy of "caught once playing games is a warning; caught twice, put the laptop away...", but the kids are doing well overall so far in that regard.
ReplyDeleteI am easing into using them in the classroom, but have started with Photo Booth (I saw they liked it and created an activity around it), and hope to create a wiki and a blog soon!
Amazing with the MacBooks in the classrooms. I sure hope that it works out well for everyone. I love Photo Booth and any form of scrapbooking application that can be used to show off artistic creations. Technology has a propensity to engage learners in the direction of learning that we want them to go however, it is up to educators/parents to find the way to stir them in the "right" direction. Great job on the warning system for playing games, I am sure the positives out-way the negatives for this new initiative.
DeleteFor students to graduate from high school and enter college or the work force prepared, I think we must make technology a priority in schools. I have been staying home for the past seven years so I have a lot of catching up to do in this area. I'm very excited to do my internships as a media specialist to get some hands-on experience with all the new technology schools have to offer.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting for you! I hope that you get to explore every technology out there so that you can gain experience and take it back to your intended population.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with an earlier commenter who said that each classroom should have a set of laptops for student usage. There are so many underprivileged students in public schools across the country who have no access to technology outside of school. This will hold them back in their academic and later professional careers, there is no doubt. Technology is so integrated into society at all levels now, it truly is a student’s doorway to the world. Take a moment to read this enlightening article from the Chicago Tribune: “As some schools plunge into technology, poor schools are left behind”.
ReplyDeleteTechnology in education is creating a lot of wonderful learning opportunities, but I believe there’s still so much work to be done to close the digital divide among students.
Excellent point made. Lots of work is to be done to fill the obvious digital divide among learners which at times can be very overwhelming.
DeleteI feel technology is a great addition to the classroom. It allows students and teachers to collaborate and opens a new world of possibility for the students and their learning potential. I am a little hesitant for the classroom to be strictly electronic. Yes, it is convenient, but I do not want to see student creativity go down the tube. In 8th grade social studies, I loved having the students create and color to display. I had posters, travel brochures, origami, etc hanging on every available space. My fear is that there will not be room for these things in the future. While it is very possible to be creative with the computer and there are so many available options for creativity, it seems difficult to display student work and make your classroom bright and cheery. I do think that it is imperative for students to be comfortable with technology, as they will be entering college or the professional workplace. I hope that teachers will be as adaptable as the students. Technology is not something to be scared of, but embraced. I feel more opportunities for seasoned teachers should be available so that they are comfortable with the advancements in the classrooms.
ReplyDeleteTechnology plays such a large part in today's society. In order to prepare the 21st century learner for the future we must be embrace the changes in technology. I think as educators there is so much we can do with technology to enhance our students education. I definitely think that there need to be more learning opportunities for teachers to become comfortable with the technology before using it in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteWell it is very apparent the impact of technology within the classroom of today. It was great to be able to watch educational films on televison but now we can preform experiments and even converse with individuals in other parts of the world. I think it is wonderful how technology has opened the eyes of students but my biggest concern is the amount of technology students have available to them. There are so many students who fall into the financial downslide of finances within their schools that making them aware of technology is slowly dwindling. I think we should be aware of the how impactful technology is on individuals and strive to arrange for all schools to have at least the basics to help students succeed.
ReplyDeleteI think that technology is essential in the classroom if we are to talk to the kids in a language they understand (If you can't beat 'em...). I wanted to take this class right away, as I felt I would not be able to effectively lead my students without more knowledge in this field. I think our culture could stand to slow down a bit, and I do not like the immediacy of the world today, as I think it necessarily eliminates valuable thinking time. I mean that if all responses must be immediate, we do not have enough time to devote to their thoughtful consideration. There is no turning back, however, and we must improve things from within the system, which means teaching our students consider new technologies as tools to be utilized in an appropriate way.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt the classroom of tomorrow will be filled with amazing technology. The only problem is how will it be paid for. The technology is out from individual student response clickers, to personal laptops or tables per child. I know some schools, especially high schools, are going to textbooks on kindles or other ereaders. I was amazed 14 years ago when I began teaching. I went to a national technology conference. To see schools where every child have a virtually indestructible laptop was fantastic. However, now teaching I see the budget strugles and I am in a classroom that has a teacher laptop connected to a smartboard and one other desktop student computer. There is nothing else. What science provides, and what school boards provide will no doubt be two different things.
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