I found three important concepts from Chapter 1 and selected them based on the fact they were all ways to save time in and away from the classroom utilizing technology.
When considering technology use away from the classroom, the organizational assets such as software and the varying devices you can utilize them on is becoming plentiful. A teacher who establishes a process to enter grades, accept work digitally (online), and can email parents and colleagues quickly and easily will save a tremendous amount of time that can be used more effectively.
One of the grandest ideas I see for technology is not needing to rewrite lesson plans weekly. With established software and the ability to alter times and ideas within the lesson a teacher can expound upon a lesson or narrow a lesson to a more specific topic or feature by adding to word documents, attaching Power Points, or maybe deleting them. A computer for instance gives a teacher the ability to keep resources such as Power Points or video clips and attach them or delete them from a lesson as needed. This saves tremendous time and allows for creative time when you want to delve deeper into a subject.
Lastly, I believe the use of technology-based textbooks will change the way everything is taught. It can be a very valuable tool in the right hands of a highly-skilled teacher who uses proven methods, a student-lead curriculum style for the book and the right motivational tools to make it interesting and engaging for their students. Unfortunately, this teacher based selection of materials can also backfire if the curriculum is not covered sufficiently, the student does not find themselves engaged in the provided material, or the student does not learn as well using technology. I mention the students ability to learn using technology because as an older student it was very hard to transition to an online technology based learning style. I still find myself picking up a hardback textbook which I find has less eye strain.
All this being said, I believe that technologies greatest asset in the learning environment is as a time-management tool. A student who learns to use technology simultaneously with the subject they are learning will become a powerful force in a technolgically advanced workforce of the 21st cnetury.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
You Tube Video
Congratulations on getting your blog created! :) In this first post, you identified and reflected on three relevant concepts and added an embedded YouTube video, as well. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteYour focus on teacher productivity is an often overlooked benefit! Sometimes, since we typically use some of the ubiquitous technology in our personal lives, we forget how applicable the same technologies can be for teaching and administrative type tasks. Lesson planning, grading, presentations and textbooks have all drastically changed in format due to the internet and updated hardware/software. Hopefully, you will continue to see additional ways technology is helpful in transforming the process of teaching and learning.