Monday, June 22, 2009

Chapter 11- Approaches to Instruction

Many approaches to teaching can be useful to me as a teacher. How can I use technology to further support my instructional approaches? How can I incorporate technology into the classroom in ways other than as a reward or a word processing mechanism?
Posted by at

9 comments:

  1. Allison YagodnikJune 24, 2009 at 8:53 AM

    Technology can provide students with the opportunity to be creative and keep up-to-date on new modes of communication so that they can be competitive in today's world. The YouTube video that Dr. Pratt presented in which students wrote facts on dry erase boards about their experiences (or lack of) with technology was very powerful. It made me realize that it is important for teachers to never stop learning so they can relate to their students' digital generation. I think that many teachers are "scared" of technology and are afraid that they won't understand it. They feel safe in their current "pencil and paper" methods. After-school workshops on using the Smartboard, etc. have been beneficial to me. In class my students create Powerpoints, do research on the internet, practice skills on interactive websites, teach their peers lessons using the Smartboard, and play learning games such as "Jeopbuddy" on the Smartboard. I have yet to use Podcasts and the "Turning Point" clicker system that Beth discussed, but those are two forms of technology that I'd really like to become familiar with to help my students learn!

    ReplyDelete
  2. blowerJune 24, 2009 at 12:57 PM

    I know everyone will be saying, "Yeah right!" if they read this, seeing that is was written by me, but I actually do use technology in my classroom. I usually just need a little scaffolding by our computer tech to pull it off. If they'd leave the programs alone for more than 6 months, I could function much better all by myself. I actually use computer technology in a variety ways within my classroom. Of course I use it for AR and STAR reading, but my students also do research on the computer for projects and they also use interactive websites for skill review. We do not have smartboards in our classrooms and the one we have for the whole school has issues (that are not related to me). What I really like is the COMPASS Learning program, which has stayed basically the same for the most part since we got it. It allows the teacher to personalize it for exactly what each individual child needs more practice with, or challenges in, and it actually corresponds with our standards! This makes Di easy for the teacher and the computer motivates the student.

    ReplyDelete
  3. csipesJune 24, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    Although I don’t often use many of the educational, web-based activities available with my students, this year I did use the programs that are available on the computers in the lab. I was fortunate enough to have one of our technology ladies work with me throughout the year and help out during computer lab once a week. It was great because together we planned lessons using programs like Kidspiration, Logo, and Study Island to provide reinforcement of classroom instruction. We had them doing things like making webs to write stories, working with fractions, stamping fact families, and reading and sorting different sound patterns such as long “a”. At times I would get a little uptight because some of the computers would have “issues” that I couldn’t fix, but overall it was a wonderful supplement to our classroom instruction. Although I’m not saying that I wouldn’t use the computer as a reward if I felt it would be beneficial, I have never done so up to this point. In the classroom, I use United Streaming to introduce and/or support some of the topics that we learn about. I also have two computers in my room for the students to take AR tests, but that’s about it for technology. Compared to many schools, my school is technologically deprived. We do not have Smartboards or any other wonderful “gadgets” to use, but we are supposed to get an ELMO for the upcoming school year. I can’t wait to use it in my classroom. After reading about how much learning can increase using technology in the classroom, my goal is to use more computer programs and get to the computer lab two times a week this coming school year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LPiaskowskiJune 24, 2009 at 4:28 PM

    I find myself able to use a lot of technology in my life fairly easy, so I love to incorporate it in to my classroom. We have computers twice a week for thirty minutes. One session we do a “Type to Learn” program because they take keyboarding in sixth grade for a grade. The other session we work on different projects or visit different websites relating to a topic we are studying. Some of my favorite websites are: www.iknowthat.com, www.brainpop.com (awesome website, but you have to subscribe, however there are some free videos) and www.spellingcity.com (a really cool website you can upload your weekly spelling list and kids can access it from home to do fun activities like hangman, etc). This year in computer lab we also did state PowerPoint presentations. In fifth grade we memorized the fifty states and capitals, and then each student chose a state to research, create a PowerPoint presentation, and then present it to the class. They had so much fun exploring with the different effects of the PowerPoint and deciding what they wanted to share with the class about their state. We also have two Elmo’s in the building, which I love to use for student writing. The kids are so eager to have their writing up on the Elmo. We find three positives and three “to-be-worked-on” areas relating to the six traits of writing. The kids that wouldn’t normally want to share can’t wait when it comes to the Elmo. Also, in the fall I will be lucky enough to have a digital white board (like a smart board, with better technology, and you can write on it like a white board as well). I really feel I will be able to tap into different aspects of a child’s daily life (like the coolness of video games) that my students can relate to. I hope this will make lessons interactive and engaging for them. I can’t wait to learn about the neat features of the DWB, such as handwriting recognition, and paper editing. It should provide for excellent and memorable days in the classroom.

    ReplyDelete
  5. K. GushrowskiJune 25, 2009 at 9:04 AM

    My school piloted a new program called Acuity last year. I worked extensively with our curriculum coach to explore and use all of the options that Acuity has to offer in order to help work out some of the bugs, as well as, to make suggestions. Much like the Compass program, Acuity allows me to assign skill strands to a whole class or just individual students. I used Acuity to assess prior knowledge on topics, serve as a tutorial, and to give quizzes. Some obstacles that I encounter are access to the computer lab and timing. Some activities would only take 10 - 12 minutes...the laptops that we have in the building just run way too slow...and it just seems a big hassle and waste of time to take the class over to the computer lab and back for a 10-12 minute activity. Five newer laptops to have in the classroom would be nice. I'm always looking for ways to incorporate technology into our lessons. I think the Turning Point clickers would be fabulous to have to instantly assess where the overall class is with the understanding of concepts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DomineeJune 27, 2009 at 8:37 PM

    I have to admit, I don't use technology as much as I'd like. Our school requires AR points, and our media specialist does lessons with the class on web quests, Timeliner, and a couple other computer related topics. This year I took my kids to the Lab to use the smartboard for a Weather Bug lesson. We also went another time for a science related activity. I have used and ELMO once.... I don't go that often because with 29 students and a computer tech that is hardley ever around, it is difficult to get all the kids up and running and then a computer will freeze, or things don't always work right, and then it is time to leave. I would definately like to get past my anxieties and use it more often for science and math. (Personally, I use the computer to send regular e-mails to parents, as well as use Schoolnotes.com .)

    ReplyDelete
  7. aharmonJune 28, 2009 at 11:02 PM

    For the past 6 years I have not used much technology because are building has very little to offer. Heck, we just got walls 5 years ago, so you can see how outdated we are. I have four computers in my classroom but only three work. I think the hamsters died in the fourth one. The computers are in such a tiny area that it is difficult for the kids to even share. My students have an assigned computer time once a week. Most of this time is spent on educational computer games to help build their skills. There computer time is my plan time so I am not in there with them. Often this time is cancelled because the tech is out of the building. It is really frustrating because I know the kids need more technology but we just don't have the equipment to provide them with what they need. When we watched the clip in class that had the kids with the white boards talking about technology it was realing upsetting. I have heard of all those technological tools , but I want to know how schools have access to them. Our district has put a lot of technology money into the new or remodeled buildings, but we have not seen any new technology. Next year I will be at one of the middle schools so I am hoping to be able to incorporate more technology into my lessons.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beth AndertJune 29, 2009 at 9:19 AM

    I'm very fortunate that there are a lot of music technology programs out there to aid students in their creative processes. I use Finale a lot at school, which has multiple applications. Primarily, I use it as a publication tool for student compositions, so that they have a nice finished product. However, we can use it during the process as well so that students can check themselves and make sure they have the right number of beats in the measure, or are using the correct clef, etc. (I have a project where kids team up with a different instrumentalist and write for that other player.) I also brought my Wii in at the end of this year, so I could use Wii music-- the kids jokingly refer to it as "handbell hero", because of a handbell game on it. However, there are also pitch matching games, timbre activities, etc. It's a valuable tool, and the kids enjoy getting to "play". I also use a karaoke machine for chorus, where kids use backing tracks and vocals to explore new genres, songs, etc. I'd like to look online to find new music games, other than just the Wii, so I don't always have to bring that in.

    ReplyDelete
  9. KymWyseJune 29, 2009 at 11:06 AM

    I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to teach in the most technologically advanced school in Indiana. Every classroom had a laptop that controlled all the room’s technology: Smartboard, Interwrite, VCR/DVD, and ELMO. The classroom also had a teacher PC, four student PCs, and a pod that had 15 student PCs. There were two computer labs, each with 23 student PCs. Having the chance to use all of this technology was overwhelming at times, but Allison is right. We should be lifelong learners and keep up with technology, and even use it to our advantage. It’s important for teachers to act as role models, so using technology keeps the teacher sharp and up-to-date with students’ expectations. One way that I utilized this technology was during the “teachable moment.” If students didn’t understand something or had no experience with something, we just hopped on the Internet and looked up the answer to our question. For example, we did a unit on rocks and minerals. The students couldn’t visualize the Grand Canyon and its sedimentary rock structures. So we took a virtual tour and it was awesome! The students’ knowledge was not only expanded, but they had a new experience using technology.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)