I recently read over the article: Reasons Why Educators Need to Embrace Internet Technologies and felt stuck between a complex situation. What I meant to say is that my generation is the one that will have to step forward and investigate how the internet can help in classroom assignments and projects. There are no classes or professors that future educators can take that specifically teach us which website will be useful for teaching specific concepts in math or reading in elementary schools. No one will tell you that what you found online is good for a certain situation. There really are endless opportunities by using this technology. Only a trial and error test will determine what works and what doesn't. Not to mention that we now have other educators and peers that will be researching online tools as well.
Okay, so the internet is not a fad and as educators we need to find out what we can do with it to keep the students busy, active and engaged. I finally understand why so many new and strange applications are popular and being shoved into my hands. This is only the beginning. I have to learn, teach and grow until one day I am teaching future teachers what programs and applications worked and what didn't.
I think it will be fun to integrate technology with class work. I personally can't wait to use such things as smart boards and the new 'overhead' projectors in a class of my very own.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with you that there is no one really helping teachers create good lessons that integrate technology beyond writing research papers or creating a power point on research.
ReplyDeleteI am finding that most teachers are unwilling to release control of the curriculum to the students. Most teachers are so focused on teaching to the state test that they loose site of the goal of helping students be life long learners. Students today need to interact with the world and not just with the people down the street. I think it is a complete philosophy change and this is hard to ask people to do.
My goal for you is that you at least think about it and if you at least use the tools to communicate with your students and parents, create with technology and maybe ask students to try to produce something that can be critiqued by the outside world we may eventually raise the expectations of everyone in and out of schools.
Hopefully this class will give you a library of tools, a list of websites, a group of people to interact with, and open your eyes to the possibilities.