Teaching 2.0: Is Tech In The Classroom Worth The Cost?
I heard this story on NPR. It talks about if the cost of technology. It s about a year old so the numbers may be a bit of but I feel it still makes some good points. Listen to the story and leave your reflections.
Teaching 2.0: Is Tech In The Classroom Worth The Cost?
32 Comments
Danell
9/30/2014 08:05:44 am
I found this really informational. I think it was really cool how the teacher had a comedian, which helped a student increase her enjoyment of writing. It also think it is interesting how the former principal talked about how engagement and standardized text doesn't test engagement. It depends on how the teacher changes the reason for learning. He also makes a very valide point. If you are just adding technology into the classroom and not changing how your teaching with it, it's the same things as not having technology. Letting the kids use the technology and making sure they are engaged. However they can actually manipulate different lessons with technology and seeing how the different steps can lead into for example life cycle. This is allowing kids to not just look at pictures. This was interesting.
Reply
Becky Windsor
9/30/2014 01:27:07 pm
Danell, I agree with you statement about teachers needing to change the reason for learning. Technology can be used by any teacher in any classroom, but the academic success students will have will depend on how the teacher uses the technology in the learning process. Technology can be daunting to teachers who are not adept at using technology in the classroom, but with training and practice I believe the academic success of students and schools will only improve!
Reply
Katie
10/2/2014 04:11:34 am
Danell I thought the comedian come in as well. I personally like how you pointed out the principals statement on not changing how you teach. If technology is going to be included manipulating the lessons is going to be key. Without changing your teaching style to go along with technology you'd really be doing a disservice to the students. I firmly believe that teachers in todays classrooms need to step up and become familiar with technology to better prepare their students. It should be something they are excited about moving forward with.
Reply
Becky Windsor
9/30/2014 01:19:34 pm
This story really made me think about technology in the classroom. I thought it was great that a class is able to have access to speakers from different backgrounds. I agree with the statement that a teacher cannot do the same thing they always do and put electricity behind it and expect things to be different. Teachers need to be open to using technology in different ways to engage students and offer different experiences with which to learn. Before it was talked about in the story of the gap between low income schools and ones with more money, I was thinking about this exact same idea. I know my school is slowly improving our technology, but we cannot afford the set-up the school in the story has. Of course there is the smart phone and projector that was said teachers could use. That would be better than not using this technology at all! I would love for my students to be able to experience this interaction with the real world. The story stated that student engagement cannot be tested, but I believe that students would be engaged and become more vested in learning from technology that links them to people and places around the world. Student engagement is the beginning of opening up the students minds where learning will then be able to occur!
Reply
Rebecca Hartman
10/2/2014 04:10:21 am
It will always be a struggle using technology in the classroom when students need their own tablets, laptops, etc. to learn because some students just cannot afford it. If the school had the funds to provide tablets or laptops to those students who could not afford them and have the other students bring their own, then it would work out for everyone but it is unlikely for a school to be able to do so. In high school, it is more likely that students have their own tablets or laptops, but it is not always the case. I think that using one common technology is most effective, because when students use their individual technology, it is likely that they are not paying attention and doing something else on their tablet/laptop.
Reply
Keeyon Howard
10/5/2014 11:38:24 am
I completely agree with you Becky. All schools are not able to afford the technology in the story here and most would love to give it a try and see where things could possibly go when it comes to engaging students. I also feel that the areas that are without resources may even enjoy this technology better than those that can afford it because if you look at the demographics of the schools that can afford it, they can also afford other resources that engage them on other social and educational levels as well while the areas that cannot afford these resources also lack the resources for other things as well. In turn the areas that cannot afford these things would love the opportunity to engage with professors and other students across the globe by using this technology.
Reply
Danell
10/6/2014 02:29:15 am
This story also made me reflect on how I do and what I can change. It's amazing to me how just a little story can make you want to do better! I agree with your points! To have your kiddos experience the real world without going anywhere could change their outlook at many different ideas.
Reply
Kiefer Smith
10/1/2014 04:12:29 am
Pretty interesting audio clip. Technology is coming like a force that does not need to be messed with. It is in the classroom all the time and teachers cannot stop it. Kids will always have their phones and they will always want to be on them. I do not allow them in my class because of the chance for distraction. If all the students had a tablet or an ipad we may be able to do some work on those. As it said in the video if students have those devices and all they are doing is writing notes then the school should have spent money on notebooks. I agree with this. They need to be able to use the technology that is brought into class if it is allowed. I did like that the students were able to use the Skype class for learning from other people. It would be a great experience for all to use and to also let the students be taught by others who were willing to teach them. I wish we would have had that when I was in school. I would have really enjoyed it.
Reply
Rebecca Hartma
10/2/2014 04:07:19 am
I agree that the Skype class sounds like a really effective use of technology. I was always interested in learning something from others because learning from one person every day can get old. Not just that, but different people have different teaching styles, different stories, different ways of explaining things that may help some students understand better than what the normal teacher can teach them.
Reply
Johnna Goucher
10/1/2014 06:20:52 am
I am a first year teacher so finding ways to add technology into my classroom was challenging for me. I want to use technology, but I want there to be a point to me using it. Not just using technology to say I'm using it. Adding technology can only help if your changing how you teach and incorporate the technology. Technology can be a benefit in the classroom, but also a distraction if not used correctly and monitored.
Reply
Brian Calhoun
10/3/2014 02:57:08 am
Through high school and even at CMU, I can remember students wasting class time on computers because they were not being challenged or monitored. When teachers assign projects connected with technology they must choose something that challenges the students. This also means taking the time to know everything about that system or program. Just like a lesson plan it is important to be completely prepared. I would give assignments that challenge your student's creativity, this way you can see who truly understood and tested the boundaries.
Reply
Kiefer Smith
10/5/2014 11:41:45 am
I could not agree with you more about using the technology in the room as a way of teaching and not just using it to say you are using it. There is so much different technology in the classroom that could be used and if you were to use it and make sure you wanted to use it a lot then it would have to be a program that will do nearly everything. The only down side to this is to learn it all and hopefully not learning it while you are trying to use it.
Reply
Danell
10/6/2014 02:33:39 am
I had a difficult time finding different technology usage in my classroom, too. I have gotten better at it, but I still like I could be even better! I am not sure your grade level, but I really like abcya.com or sumdog.com.
Reply
Keeyon Howard
10/1/2014 09:25:05 pm
Technology is obviously alive and growing by the second not only in life but also in business and education. This classroom set up is a prime example of how technology is pushing the envelope with intentions of breaking that envelope wide open to explore the extreme potential of how students can be challenged in a classroom setting. I actually like the fact that the teacher on the screen is available to the students in that classroom setting but I also feel that every student may not be accustomed to being taught this way. I admire the fact that new things are at least being attempted because as time goes on, trial and error will produce a valuable product.
Reply
Katie Dietzman
10/2/2014 04:15:21 am
Keeyon I loved the section of the video that talked about simulations as well. I personally feel that I would have benefited from this type of program in school. I think the simulations will help those students who need to experience activities first had to see how they work excel in the classroom. In my current position at SFCC I advise for all the technical programs on campus. I absolutely love watching students come into the classroom and excel in the degree because they are working hands on and not just right out of a book. These students tend to lose their negative feelings towards the classroom because of the positive experience they are having and tend to complete their full degrees because of this.
Reply
Becky Windsor
10/4/2014 12:22:51 pm
Keeyon, very good points! It would be wonderful if all schools could use the technology the school in the video clip is using. If students could actually participate in simulations where they can interact with someone teaching them from a certain career area or specialization, that would be priceless. The amount of learning and engagement that could come from this type of experience would far exceed that of just learning from a traditional lecture in the classroom. Hopefully every school in the nation will some day be able to offer these great technologies to their students. Our students need these experiences to become prepared for future jobs!
Reply
Rebecca Hartman
10/2/2014 04:05:20 am
I've had so many professors in college and teachers in high school whose idea of "utilizing technology in the classroom" meant putting a movie on the projector. There are so many ways to use technology in the classroom--through the use of a SmartBoard, interactive games on the projector (trivia games, Jeopardy, Family Feud, etc.), and even students putting together projects using technology and presenting them to the class. If a student feels like the technology being used is outdated (such as plain PowerPoints), they won't be engaged in the lesson. Watching movies and videos may help some students learn if they are visual/auditory learners, but it won't help students who learn my doing. For those learners, simulations would be extremely helpful and it would ensure that most, if not all, students are engaged in the lesson.
Reply
Jess Brink
10/5/2014 12:05:46 pm
I agree - my teacher's idea of using a projector was playing a movie. There is just so much that technology can expand on. I thought it was so interesting that the technology could be used to get students more involved and learn in ways they can't without technology. Like having a buddy in another country to learn a language
Reply
Katie Dietzman
10/2/2014 04:05:46 am
Technology is an important part of todays classroom. The classroom presented in this article are extremely creative. In the video it talks about seeing things and doing them through simulations. Personally as a learner I would absolutely have loved this. I also think that technology needs to keep helping education evolve. For example last week the college I work for had over 2500 high school students on campus for a college and career day. All over campus we had places for the students to check into sessions by using their smart phones. We also set up a backdrop for the students to take photos to post and tag the event on Twitter and Facebook. The number of students we got to participate in this activity was incredible. We also found that it kept the students engaged and participating through out the entire day. We saw almost all of the student participating and not just sitting around texting or playing on their phones. I thought it was really neat seeing technology being used in a positive and engaging manner instead of being a distraction.
Reply
Keeyon Howard
10/5/2014 11:43:23 am
Katie, you are very right when you say that technology needs to keep helping education evolve. This is so true because with so many devices in the hands of students these days, they are are almost being hypnotized by what the media is presenting to them and I think its very important that education keeps up with the technology so that our students will remain educated even in a world full of entertainment. Plus, who's to say that education can't be entertaining? so yes, you are exactly right, if technology keeps helping education evolve, students will love being educated in way that will challenge them and make better students and also citizens in the world!!
Reply
Tim Dickens
10/2/2014 04:43:39 am
i think this really puts a lot of things into to perspective around the use of technology in the classroom. Yes it is important to use technology and engage the students in a way that they are comfortable with, but I agree it is only another tool to be used in education. I think we go to far with technology at times. As a math teacher I strongly believe that kids today are not spending enough time time with a pencil in their hand.. I think it is still important that they do not reach for a calculator to find out what 6*0 is.
Reply
Brian Calhoun
10/3/2014 03:02:52 am
Sometimes it seems that we are making our students use technology when it is not necessary. Many times teachers tell students to write papers or assignments on the computer when it could much more easily been written on paper. I feel there is a great need to keep our kids technologically savvy but this cannot take away from the traditional subjects.
Reply
nicketa coombs
10/5/2014 11:06:55 am
I totally understand your stance and I agree with you, moderation is key. Sometimes we get so caught up into technology and new innovations that we lose sight of the end purpose and then it becomes a distraction instead of helping to improve learning. I also think it is crucial that we don't become dependent solely on technology and we must be able to function without it like the good old days!
Reply
Kiefer Smith
10/5/2014 11:49:31 am
Technology can be used in many different ways than education. I do agree with the fact that most of us will turn to a calculator when we need to do a simple math problem. I feel it is unnecessary to do so but most people do. All kids who are in school should not need a calculator for all the simple math problems but as schools go I feel like we are making it to where they need to have calculators to do 6 times 0. It is ridiculous that the world is coming to that but its what it is coming to.
Reply
Katie Damgar
10/2/2014 10:31:41 am
I find this article/audio clip very interesting. A topic I have researched a little bit in the past year is education reform. Many parents chose a school district based on the success of the school district. This creates a gap between upper and lower class students. The lower class students do not have the option of attending better schools based on what area their parents income. A reform that tried to resolve this would be the voucher system. However, after listening to this interview I feel that technology could allow the best teachers from all over the world to teach every student. As long as the school district has internet access and a projector, students would be able to Skype and learn from teachers all over the world. This could help in the gap between lower class and upper class school districts.
Reply
Tim Dickens
10/3/2014 04:46:47 am
I agree with you Katie. I know in many of the small districts in my area they have a hard time keeping qualified teachers. Some are using technology to have dual credit courses brought to the school because the teachers are not qualified to teach dual credit courses so it gives the student an opportunity to to take these classes.
Reply
Brian Calhoun
10/3/2014 02:52:28 am
At Westlake High school in Maryland, many of the classrooms have been converted into interactive digital classrooms. This means that there is no teacher in the front of the classroom lecturing; instead there is a giant screen where the guest lecturer for the day would be connected via Skype. Tiny microphones are spread out through the room hanging from the ceiling so student may ask questions. Theses classrooms with no windows, padded walls, and giant big screen screens; are the new direction that some schools are embracing. Students do benefit from listening to new and intelligent professors that they would otherwise not be able to communicate with. This allows us to communicate across the country and learn from much more qualified professionals. This system is also probably more efficient than giving every student a laptop. With dozens of laptops, students get distracted and look at other stuff besides school work. With the interactive digital classroom, students have only one screen to look at, the same one as the entire class. I can see some drawbacks to this new classroom idea. I feel that talking to professors from New York everyday on a computer screen can get old and un-interesting. I feel that guest lecturers should be limited to two times a week. This way a teacher can run the class and create other activities and learning experiences that will help students develop a greater level of understanding. Someone hundreds of miles away cannot take the time to help a learning disabled student understand part of a lesson that is why we need live, present teachers still. The digital classroom is a valuable tool but for the price, only a few classrooms should be converted to be used a few days a week. Not every day all day, live teachers are still more practical and efficient.
Reply
Aaron shockley
10/5/2014 10:54:53 am
After reading this article I feel that technology is impacting education in a great way. I wish I had this when I was in school cause then I feel like some subjects would be a little more interesting to learn. I liked the history teacher that was a novelist. I think that having him teach history would give a different view point, but I feel like in some cases though with having students interact with the technology used with the history Teach could provide hardships with students taking on task but I think that if the information is geared toward their students and interest them it would help that problem.
Reply
nicketa coombs
10/5/2014 11:04:11 am
I agree with you, I wish I had all this new technology to keep me interested and 'on my toes' when I was in school. Having to sit in class and listen to a lecture everyday gets old and after a while it becomes so routine that you lose focus without even realizing that you're not paying attention. I think I would've really enjoyed interacting with an author of a book I was reading or even skyping with other individuals who are professionals in the subject area. it's just something new and fresh!
Reply
Nicketa Coombs
10/5/2014 10:59:38 am
I thought this article was a very refreshing read. I think introducing pricey technology into the classroom is worth it to a great extent. I'm always in support of anything that can facilitate better learning despite what it may cost. Also, I think students may be more intrigued and interesting when it's not always the same thing every time. Tradition is good but we must also be open to trying new things. As a student, I would be so excited about having Skype lectures with authors of books I'm reading or with other professionals. I think we spend a lot of money on other things that really isn't worth it so cost shouldn't be the only determining factor. For example, I've spent thousands on books I never used or barely read, books that did not help me in any way. Overall, I think providing all these new options of learning, engaging and interacting is great idea to improve learning!
Reply
Jess Brink
10/5/2014 11:55:12 am
Amen to the book buying thing!! So many things that teachers purchase would no longer be needed (at least not in a large amount) if students were provided technology that would allow them to utilize applications that would be used for things like note taking, reading a book, writing a paper...
Reply
Jess Brink
10/5/2014 11:53:19 am
This NPR segment was extremely interesting and reminded me of the unlimited uses for technology in the classroom. I couldn’t even imagine having a classroom that had screens that allowed me to speak with people from across the country. It was interesting to me that the students were allowed to ask questions of historians that would not be reached without this technology. Students become more engaged when they are allowed to experience things that are interesting to them. In the interview they discussed the potential problem with students not being able to transition from home technology to school technology. I feel that the transition would be very simple and extremely beneficial. Allowing students to use something they are so familiar with to learn would only help a student succeed. I think that yes, money is an issue… But it is also important to look at the amazing amount of children that are engaged and actually interested in their education now that they have the ability to interact with things they may never have experienced before.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Class BlogThis blog is for class conversations for Ed 514 at Central Methodist University. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
March 2015
Categories
All
|