Using Technology in Lessons

Classroom technology observation

My mentor teacher was very intimidated by technology. We never used technology in the class unless it was absolutely necessary. We used an overhead projector and tape player for shared reading. Once a week, the lab assistant would bring in a Mac laptop for every student so that they could take their weekly assessment on the literacy skills they learned that week. I would often see Ms. Leighton writing notes on her own laptop. But, honestly, she would try to avoid using technology for teaching or administrative tasks if she could. I think we could have enhanced our lessons with technology.

We had a promethean board installed in the class while I was there. My teacher didn’t know how to use it and so we used the promethean board as a projector screen with the overhead projector. The other cohorts had promethean boards in their class as well and told me how much it helped them teach their lessons. I think the promethean board would be especially useful in teaching math allowing students to learn together and have a visual representation of the mathematical manipulations. I finally had to bring in my own laptop and teaching a vocabulary lesson giving a small group of students visual representations of words. The kids loved my technology lesson and were so engaged! Technology can really help give students a multimodal learning experience allowing them to see things, hear things, and move things, interacting with the promethean board for example.

Two video clips

I watched two video clips--

Inside Kapunahala

Bookends of War

Technology clearly enriches children’s learning experience by allowing them to see, hear and interact with the curriculum they are trying to learn, thus letting them use several of their senses in the learning process, keeping them more engaged. The projects students do with technology provide opportunities for a variety of students of different backgrounds and ages to work together, and peer-tutor to create and accomplish, together.

In both videos, all the students seemed to be very engaged—very excited about their learning experience. Students are proud about what they are able to do with technology—what they are able to make. Technology is so exciting for the children because although it is challenging, students find they have a knack for technology. The challenge makes success so much more satisfying. One student said she loved using the technology because she can take what she learns in class, outside of the classroom and apply those technological skills in real-life experiences.

Another thing I learned from these clips—Using technology can help move assessment away from standardized testing and gives students experience, allowing the teacher to observe their skills in a more realistic and student-friendly way. Also, integration is simple. There is a possible technology application for every subject/topic. You can use technology to enhance any learning experience—students didn’t just feel like they were getting better at using a computer. They saw progress in their speaking skills as well.

Using Technology with Young Children

If I have learned anything while doing my cohort, it has been that students learn better when they are actively participating in the learning process. When I lecture the whole time, they fall asleep. They love to be my volunteers, to do anything where they get to move and interact. Using technology to teach is so engaging for our students. They get to use their eyes, and their ears. They get to explore and discover. These different clips showed how technology allowed students to be the scientists. Technology is so easily integrated into geography, biology, literacy (reading), teaching patterns, writing and drawing, assessments, or internet communication. Also, technology is something our students can pick up computers quickly. It is a fun way for them to learn and they excel. And using technology requires lot of thinking skills. And most importantly, it helps teach students how to access information from different electronic resources which is a skill they will use for the rest of their lives.

Technology Assessment

When I first entered my teachers classroom I had a panic attack because I couldn't see a ceiling projector and I wanted to show a PowerPoint. My teacher took me on a tour of the technology available in her room. She does have a computer projector that sits on a cart. She has a light projector, a television, DVD and VCR players, and a CD player. She even has a tape player at the reading center. There are 3 MAC computers sitting on a counter that we haven't yet used, and the teacher has her own MAC laptop.

There are technologies outside the classroom that are available to us, such as the computer carts that supply students with MAC laptops for testing. There are three technology experts we can call if we need help. I was impressed by how well equipped the school was and I'm certain I'll have fun integrating technology into my lessons.

I have completed the mid-course evaluation and informed consent.