Through many education classes, and
being in classrooms, I have noticed the emphasis that is being placed on
technology in the classroom. Some scholars such as Drake, Reid and Kolohon
(2014) state that technology can be used to engage students, ultimately
enriching their learning. In these classrooms, students Bring their Own Device
(BYOD) to engage in different educational activities. Apps and computer
software allow students to learn in an interactive manner through gaming and
social networking. An example that really stuck out to me was communicating
with classrooms around the world. The students would use Skype to communicate
with other students and learn about their culture and how their school
atmosphere is different (Drake, Reid, Kolohon, 2014).
Now there is a transition from
teachers being the center of the classroom to teaching ethical and responsible
use of technology (Drake, Reid, Kolohon, 2014). This new constructivist
pedagogy focuses on project-based learning equalling an interactive lesson and
assessment. I think all students will benefit from this pedagogy regardless of
their grade or processing level.
When I was in elementary school, we
would have computer hour once a week. During this hour our teacher asked us to
use one of the math programs or reading programs. It was our choice, but we had
to do one of the two. I remember that some of the games were fun, but once we
grew older the games became boring, and we all lost interest in playing the
games. This is when my peers would start to goof off on the computer,
ultimately taking the computer time away from the rest of us. Cole (2014)
states that the programs should not be the focus of the lesson or activity, but
they should add value and effectiveness. However, to effectively learn using
technology, the school needs to have the hardware and software available. I
think this is where the government needs to create a level playing field for
all schools, instead of having technology available just to the schools that
receive lots of outside funding.
Since my days in elementary school,
technology has developed and grown so much! When going into schools now to help
in classrooms, there are a number of students who have their own iPods or tell
me they got an iPad for their birthday. The number of children with technology
at their fingertips is skyrocketing. Therefore, I do believe that teachers need
to implement technology use in the classroom using Bloom’s taxonomy model.
Teachers need to create their lesson plans while thinking about the different
dimensions: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create (Cole,
2014; Krathwohl, 2002). However, as a future teacher I am nervous about the
apps that I’ll find and want to use. Will they be effective? Will the student’s
be engaged? Will I have the support from my school? These are all questions
that I want answered.
I did some research to see if I could
find some helpful resources. I have found multiple resources listing the number one apps that are recommend. Research to find specific apps has left me more confused. However,
I have made a conclusion based on my teaching experience and from watching a
TED talk about a 12 year old app developer. The apps that we use in our class
depend on what our students need, and what they’re interested in. For example,
this past summer in science camp, we had an iPad app called lightbot. Some students really got
invested in this ‘learn to program’ app, but others were very confused about
what to do. I think teachers will have to talk to the students a learn what
they think, how they learn, and what areas they need more effective learning to
enhance their education. As Keane, Lang and Pilgrim (2012) state, it is not
necessarily the presence of the iPads, but it is how the teacher actively integrates and creates an effective
curriculum using the technology.
Some Apps that I have found through
comparing different blogs and website are:
Quizlet
 |
| Quzlet (2015). Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/quizlet-flashcards-study-tools/id546473125?mt=8 |
Kahoot! |
| Kahoot (2014). Retrieved from http://www.educationalappstore.com/app/kahoot |
Scratch Jr. |
| Scratch Jr. (2015). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scratchjr.android&hl=en |
Anatomy 4D |
| Anatomy 4D (2015). Retrieved from http://daqri.com/project/anatomy-4d/#.VhU6fbTwifQ |
Sushi Monster
 |
| Sushi Monster ( 2015). Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/sushi-monster |
See.Touch.Learn
 |
| See.Touch.Learn (2015). Retrieved from http://www.brainparade.com/products/see-touch-learn-free/ |
References
Cole, J. (2014). It’s not about the apps. Literacy Learning: the Middle Years. 22(1). 48- 51.
Drake, S. M.,
Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom
assessment: Engaging the 21st-century learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University
Press.
Krathwohl, D. R.
(2002). A revision of bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory Into Practice. 41(4). 212-218.
Keane, T., Lang, C., & Pilgrim, C. (2012). Pedagogy! iPadology! Netbookology! Learning with mobile devices. Australian Educational Computing. 27(2). 29-33.
Keane, T., Lang, C., & Pilgrim, C. (2012). Pedagogy! iPadology! Netbookology! Learning with mobile devices. Australian Educational Computing. 27(2). 29-33.
Suarez, S. (2011). A 12 year old app developer. [Video
file]. Retrieved from
I am so intrigued by apps and technology in the classroom! I like the video of the 12-year-old app developer, it really shows how tech savvy kids are these days and the amazing things they can do with this knowledge! This is a great example of WHY technology and apps should be used in the classroom. As teachers, I think that it is important that we learn how to use technology appropriately in the classroom. I think it is important for us to know what apps and resources are available to us to make learning more engaging for students.
ReplyDeleteIn my placement class we often use iPads with different apps to create charts, give feedback on presentations or participate in lecture. Our professor leads by example, showing us how to use these apps. It helps that he knows how to use them and doesn't require us to show him.
As technology develops, we have to keep up. Do you think there should be a technology class in our Concurrent Education program? Would this class be mandatory or an elective? Do you think it would be beneficial to learn about different apps and media sources in education?
Theresa,
ReplyDeleteI thought that your new blog entry was very interesting and relevant to the 21st century classroom. I really enjoyed how you incorporated your personal experiences with technology when you were in elementary as it shows that there has been major changes in technology in the past ten to fifteen years and that it is important for the curriculum to recognize the relevance of these changes.
I think that many teachers are seeing the importance of integrating apps and technology in their classroom, but that their are also some who may be nervous as they might think that their students know more about technology than they do. I recently observed a grade 4/5 classroom that used chromebooks to hand in all of their good copies of language arts assignments. On these chromebooks, students signed into their personal account where they were able to create a google doc to complete their assignment which would then be directly connected to their teachers email. I also found the use of the chromebooks interesting because the teacher was able to access and customize the settings on each students account so they weren't able to go off task and if students needed extra help she could turn on assistance settings such as word prediction.
I thought you chose a great video to to include in your blog as it shows that technology is important in the life of today's students and that it provides them with the opportunity to excel. This video shows that many children have the potential to succeed in the use of technology and that it can also help encourage learning alongside the everyday curriculum.
How do you think the school board could ensure that all classrooms are integrating technology in some way? How could lower income schools still work with technology and apps?
This is a really interesting blog Theresa! My experience with technology in elementary school was very similar in the fact that we were allotted “computer time” and we all just ended up goofing off. Technology should be incorporated with regular lessons to make them more interesting and useful rather than a separate class. I also liked your comment on funding and technology in schools. It is extremely unfair that some schools have all the technological advances to make innovative lessons based on outside funding, while other schools can barely afford enough supplies to complete work. Technology is the future of education and all children should get the opportunity to be involved!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you felt technology was effective in all subjects or would be more useful in certain areas? For example in art class would technology be effective or are more traditional ways of competing art (i.e. drawing, sculpting etc.) better? Furthermore do you think children could become dependent on technology for learning? They may not always have ipads and white boards to assist in learning.
In the future it would be interesting to hear about specific programs or technological advancements you would like to have in your classroom! I love to hear your ideas! Also in the future more videos would be interesting because it provides a good example of how technology can be effectively implemented in the classroom. Good work Theresa!
Vanessa