Technologies for Education--Ann Barron
With all the technological advancements we’ve made, it’s no wonder that so many teachers are turning more towards using technology in the classroom. Technology can make the life of a teacher easier, and it provides another way for students to be able to connect to school. Using technology can make the students take a more active role in their learning; they may use a computer to work through class material at their own speed and level. It can make the lessons more customizable for each student, and it provides greater flexibility for students with special needs. With multimedia presentations, teachers can easily incorporate the different learning styles of their students, and they can make the subject more alive than simply reading or lecturing about them. Technology provides students opportunities to become the teacher as often they will know more about using the various types of technology than their teachers will.
Currently I’m working with 10th grade honors English students, and the teacher I’m working with uses a lot of technology in her class. You can really see the difference that it makes for her students; there is a lot less time spent on the teacher handwriting notes and more time discussing content. She posts notes onto her website for the students after class, so they are able to go back and reference what they talked about in class if they need. We’re using various programs to edit and revise their long form presentations (literary analysis essays). The students use the Flesch-Kincaid readability test found on the newer version of Microsoft Word in order to figure out the grade level and readability level of their essays. Without this program, it makes it a lot more difficult to examine where their papers are at. We’re also using turn-it-in for these papers. With turn-it-in, we’re able to go in and easily peer review essays and for the teacher, we can check for plagiarism. Technology is implemented into her classroom and the students love it. It brings something that they love into a subject that most are only taking because it’s required.
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What the teacher is doing for this English class is wonderful. The students have a great opportunity to learn in a active way, and incorporate a new way of learning to their academic resume. Students are tired of the old fashioned way of learning, such as listening to a lecture for the entire class period. Learning to incorporate these programs into the class sounds exciting and fresh.
ReplyDeleteThe Flesch-Kincaid readability test program sounds like a great way for students to evaluate themselves. There are many technological tools out there meant to enhance learning for students and I think this teacher has the right idea. The technology she is using fits into her curriculum with ease.
ReplyDeleteAnd just wait until the lovely Ms. K publishes the new BOSS program for computers! I love the idea of incorporating as much technology into classrooms as possible. I think it's an exciting and much needed addition, especially in our English classrooms where students only think they'll be burying their heads in boring, musty, beat up copies of whatever novels the school library has available. I think these advances would really motivate the students to dig deeper and get excited about their class. It sounds like it's doing wonders for your 10th graders.
ReplyDeleteThese are great ideas that the teacher uses for her classroom. I like the Flesch-Kincaid readability statistics, but I also think that the students should not be taught to rely on a computer to determine whether their writing is effective or not. The Flesch-Kincaid statistics must be viewed, like all technology, as a tool that can be used to enhance learning and not an authority on writing ability. That, I think, is one of the most important aspects to technology that must be remembered at all times. Technology is an enhancement, not a panacea; teachers must rely on themselves as the experts and technology as a tool.
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