Interactive white boards are the future for every classroom! These promethium boards, or smart boards discussed in the article "Austin Public Schools get 'Smart'" are able to be used and utilized in almost every situation in the classroom. There are many variations of these boards available to schools. Here is a website that explains a few variations :
These boards functions: -Touch Screen -Active Pen -Sound -Saving Capabilities -Large Visuals with colors -Anything from computers can be transmitted -ACTIVotes
These boards can be used for almost anything on the computer. Any lesson plans can be transformed into technology integration with these smart boards. These boards also have another neat feature called "ACTIVotes." This is a little hand held device that each student has, and can vote individually. The board will tally up all of the votes quickly and post the total number of votes. This a device that allows each and every students to be involved in the classroom! It may take some time to transfer all of your lesson plans and work to the computer or internet, but once this transformation takes place the classroom will be a much more technology friendly area for students. Our students are working with technology on a daily basis at home, why not use this great advancement to increase our learning capabilities in our classrooms!
In this article there is thought about using technology to reduce energy/electricity waste in schools. Instead of teachers being in there office for office hours can could be at home on their computer. There are many programs that offer teachers to teach online, post power points, and give students advice through the internet. This could be a more vital source in the near future then it is even now in our schools! If our teachers do not have to spend as much before and after school hours sitting in their rooms, then we can save the school energy costs.
In this article the idea is brought up about meetings, and in-services from home or on the internet. This eliminates commuting and wasted energy at the schools. This could go a long way for effecting the environment. Each year our schools are going to become more technology savvy and us as future teachers/ teachers are going to have to be ready for this change! I think it will be for the best as long as proper training and classes are offered for teachers and students who would like the training!
"At a time when some educators sought ways to eliminate cell phones as a distraction, Cook wondered how he might capitalize on the technology that students already possessed."
In this article "Mobile Technology Goes to School" Cook has a great idea to use cell phones in the classroom to enhance learning. In the article he has concerns about texting and using bluetooth during class. This would be a concern for me as well. He solved this problem by asking Verizon to donate phones for his students, but these phones are not voice or text enabled. This allows the students to use these for emailing each other and the teacher. They also use applications for the classroom. They have specific applications called "GoKnow" and "Gaggle" that they use in their class. I would like to learn more about these applications!
I think this is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom. Our students of the 21st century were raised with technology and its best if we embrace this and use it to our advantage in the classroom. There are always going to be obstacles to over come like in any new idea or project, but I think technology in the classroom has great possibilities!
This article from EducationWorld.com called "School Races to Promote Reading Through Podcasts" was new idea for me that sparked a lot of interest! I know that students are now wanting to begin using technology at a very young age. The students in this school were pod-casting about the books they had read. The goal was to reach 500 podcast about books the students had read and to post them on the school webpage. This was a great idea because it was promoting reading by having a reward of using technology in assignments for the students. This is also great because the students are able to use these podcast as STUPENDOUS resources!
"At first, Bell had confidence that older students would embrace the work and easily master it, but she wondered how others -- early childhood classes, students in the ESL program, kindergardners, the hearing impaired, struggling readers -- would respond. But it turned out that the students she worried about the most created the most precious podcasts."
>> I thought this quote was important to me because this would be a worry to me as well but glad to know it worked out! :)
My name is Emilie! I am going to college to become a teacher! I am Majoring in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I am inspired to help students to be the best they can be! I am also taking a technology class that has inspired me to learn about new technology that can be used in the classroom! This blog will be about all of the technology that can be integrated into the classroom. I would love to hear new ideas and opinions from others tooooo!
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