Integrating technology into the daily classroom does not seem as intimidating to me as it once did. Looking through the 21st century skills and technology standards, many of the skills that the students must learn and practice go hand-in hand with the State Standard Objectives. I think there are many ways to integrate technology into any classroom. The teacher simply needs to equip the students with the knowledge they need to complete the tasks (and understand why they are completing the task) and the teacher needs to be well equipped herself/himself. The way the West Virginia State Department set up the technology standards makes it quite easy for the teacher to integrate technology into the lesson. Plus, several technology standards can fir into one lesson or unit plan.
As a teacher in the 21st century, I know that I will desire my students to have access to computers on a daily basis. I realize that in some schools this is not possible, but to make the classroom as much like a real-world situation, using the internet or Word processing on a daily basis is very realistic. I would like my students to have the opportunity to collaborate with students in another classroom. Even if this mens that my students communicate with the class next door or on the other side of the world.
Because I desire my students to be exposed to technology on a daily basis, this means that I may have to have several small projects goin on at the same time. In the las blog, I posted about the learner-active, technology-infused classroom. In such classrooms, the students do not necessarily complete the project in one day or one week, however, several of the projects spanned months or the entire school year. Now these activities would have to be pretty exciting for the students to stay interested that long, but when the students are using technology and working together, the activities usually are pretty exciting!
As for lesson plans that integrate technology; I imagine that I will need to be very clear where I desire my students to focus on technology and where pencil and paper will suffice. Though technology is a large part of our lives today, there is still room for good old work sheets and seat-work. From the lesson plans I have already written that integrate technology, writing the lesson plan with the integration is not that difficult, but actually applying that integration in clear step-by step process will be very important.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Sarah~
I do agree that getting students daily exposed to technology, in particular the internet and Word Processing is very important. These days we don't hardly see a day go by that we aren't on the internet or typing something up. ;) I know it may be difficult sometimes if there isn't that possible access to computers, but it is important.
Also, I do agree that many small projects may be going on all at the same time in a classroom, but kids love working on computers and being able to manipulate things on the coputer screen.
I also think that communicating with a different classroom would be so much fun!
Sarah Cole you are going to be an awesome teacher!!
Sarah~I am so glad that you are beginning to see the ease of integrating technology standards with content standards. Like you have said there are many ways for teachers to accomplish this in the classroom...well, at least with a little creativity. The lessons that I have had the pleasure of seeing you plan out and create are right in line with what a 21st century classroom should be doing as far as learning. You are right, there is still a place for writing and practice (through good old worksheets), but using the technology in the learning experience really opens up a whole new, exciting place for learning to happen. Keep up the good work!:)
Sarah~
I can tell by the way you write you are going to be a fun teacher who know's how, and wants to reach out to her students through the world of technology. I think it sounds like fun to have a project going on for an extended amount of time! It may require some extra work on the teachers part, but in the end I know it would be worth it. Technology can be such a tool in the classroom, and it seems to me that you understand what a benefit it can have.God bless!
Post a Comment