Don't Be Afraid

Lately I have noticed some mixed opinions on the idea of technology in the classroom, especially the use of certain websites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.  I can understand the concern that most parents and educators have about integrating them into the classroom.  What if the kids get distracted?  What if they are not paying attention to what they are supposed to be learning?  What if they see something inappropriate?  Well the fact is, if they aren't already doing it in the school setting they probably are at home or somewhere else.  These sites are available to our students and the students are using them and loving it.  So if they are already using them, and probably going to no matter if we allow them in our schools or not, why not allow them to be used.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying let these kids loose to just do what they would like on the computer, but why not teach them a little netiquette to set our minds at ease.  We can always make your own rules too, according to your school how comfortable you are with the tool, and how your students do using it.  I know that there are ways that we can integrate these things for educational purposes that would benefit everyone in the school setting.  This might be just the engagement that kids will respond to.  I think with all of these changes, we need to change as well and include things like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in our classrooms because we are all missing out if we don't.  But with that integration of those tools, we need to teach our kids how they should be used in the schools and if we come up with creative and fun things for them to be doing; they won't have time to get off track.  So don't count them out, but be creative and teach students how they should be used in the school setting.  I think the risks are worth the possible benefits. These are 21st century students; we shouldn't hold them back from using tools they could use in the future.  We should take this opportunity to teach them more effective and safer ways to use the tools to their benefit.  We also should take this opportunity to learn about the sites ourselves so we know their benefits and what they have to offer to ensure that our students get the most out of their use.

Top image used with permission from flickr.com/boite-en-valise
Bottom image used with permission from flickr.com/Skokie Public Library

Not Just Your Ordinary Whiteboard

This past summer I worked at a daycare that held a summer program.  It was free for anyone who wanted to come and it was for a couple of hours out of the day.  During this time I got to be in a classroom and see teachers in action.  One classroom that I sat in on was a kindergarten class.  This class was filled with little ones that wanted to be entertained.  The teacher had them sit down in front of the whiteboard.  Soon I realized this was no ordinary whiteboard.  She had it connected to her computer and was able to play things and then use the board or have the kids use the board to interact.  They could find the missing pieces, fill in the blanks, and all together participate in the lesson.  I soon figured out that it was a SMART board.  I had never seen anything like this before and I kind of wanted to be one of those kids sitting down who would eventually get a turn to use the SMART board.  That is the excitement that I as a future teacher, want my kids to feel.  I want them to be excited and want to learn, and who wouldn't be excited about being able to create with what seems like nothing?  I tried to find what other people were thinking.  I found that others like the interactive whiteboard just like me.  I would love to have one in my classroom some day.  Especially with all of the resources of ways to use the whiteboard, and the built in activities that the SMART board comes with.  Kids like this type of engagement and even though I saw it used in a early education classroom I don't see any reason why it couldn't be used in high school.  The lessons would just adjust to be age appropriate and maybe the students could even create their own lessons and use the interactive whiteboard to teach the class.  There are so many possibilities and the interactive whiteboard allows students to be excited and involved in their learning.  So the question is, Why wouldn't you use an interactive whiteboard?

Learn more about the whiteboard:


Image Used With Permission: flickr.com/Sean O' Sullivan

Wii for Education

Recently, Pherrell Williams discussed with Steve Perry, a CNN reporter about the education benefits that the Wii can achieve.  I think Pherrell was talking very generally in the sense that today's young people are surrounded by fast moving, exciting things.  They are constantly engaged and are learning things outside of the schools by this constant engagement.  What kid would want to sit still in a classroom and learn about something, when they could play a video game and learn about it?  I understand that not all subjects can or should be taught through video games, but I agree that we need to bring that engagement into the classroom.  The fact is, children are surrounded by technology all of the time and if our education system doesn't find something to stimulate them like that and make them excited to learn, we could be in real trouble.  In my opinion, we as educators need to find different ways of teaching material that will engage the students and be up to speed with their 21st century lives.  This can only benefit them because if we expose them to the use of technology for learning, they are able to do so many more things.  We are not limited to pencil and paper.  We can help them to expand their learning and understanding, by showing them how to use things that they usually use for entertainment purposes, for learning purposes as well.  We need to be their guide and show them how to utilize the different gadgets that they acquire to aid in their education.  If this is accomplished, we are not only teaching them the material, but giving them the tools to teach themselves.

For more on the use of Wii in the classroom: Edutopia
This video gives more ideas of how Wii can be used in the classroom:




Image used with permission from pics4learning.com.

Why not use Webinars?!

In my education technology class we were given an opportunity to participate in a webinar for extra credit.  This got me thinking, why couldn't we use webinars in the high school classroom?  This could be a really good opportunity for students to interact with others and discuss different issues.  I recently visited the website that was holding a webinar with the author of a book.  How awesome would that be if we could give students the opportunity to ask questions to the authors of the books we are discussing in class.  The possibilities are endless.  I think if used correctly and they are age-appropriate, we could offer students a new way to learn and a way to take their learning a step further.  I never had anything like this in school, but I think that all students would benefit greatly from the information they could be exposed to as well as the different form of learning to help keep them interested.  Webinars just could be a great new tool in the classroom if we put in the effort and use them correctly.
To participate in a webinar and learn about ideas visit: Inspiring Teachers

Image used with permission from pics4learning.com.