Within my internship school, students follow a BYOD policy in which they are allowed to bring their devices and use them within the classroom as they please (minus cell phones.) So far, I have witnessed students bring in Kindles, iPads, and laptops to use within their classrooms. The students typically use their Kindles and iPad’s to read books instead of owning and carrying around a paper copy. They also use their iPads and laptops to take notes and even Google words that they do not know during class.
The BYOD policy, (minus cellphones) has thus far been running quite smooth. Students are able to take notes faster, research deeper, and use a plethora of online tools such as Quizlet, YouTube and Google Classroom by brining in their devices. I have also found that students are more comfortable on their own device (such as a MacBook or iPad) rather than the regular laptops that` the school provides.
I do believe that technology does have a time and place within the classroom. Teachers within my building use websites such as Glogster, Kahoot.it, Newsela, Google Classroom, and Quizlet in order to teach students online literacy skills. These websites are used to teach students how to create a blog / online graphic posters, post submissions / discussions (such as the forums that we find on Blackboard), create flash cards, and even to be able to read and highlight information in news articles that are assigned by the teacher. I have found that even though teachers use many different websites, the students are able to follow along easier because the teachers are sure to demonstrate how the website is set up, where their work will be located, and techniques the students can use to be successful on that website. The teachers also consistently use these websites while teaching their classes so that students are able to follow along.
From what I have observed, I do think that technology can effectively and authentically be integrated into classroom activities. I believe that using technology and online tools have the ability to make students more interested in whatever the topic of the day may be. For example, a few weeks ago when I covered a class, I taught a lesson on comparing and contrasting. Instead of handing out a sheet of paper to demonstrate how to use a venn diagram, I posted a venn diagram on the SMARTboard. By posting the venn diagram on the SMARTboard, students were more willing to suggest answers because they were able to come to the board and write the answer. Later on in the same class, we used technology in order to navigate through a website that gave us the “real” version of the story Hercules. We then watched the same section of the story that we read about in the Disney movie using YouTube. The kids were excited to compare and contrast the text version and the movie and see the modifications that Disney had made. Lessons such as these have a genuine and useful technological purpose in the classroom.
In my future classroom, I would like to integrate technology such as online tools, smart boards, and iClickers. I think that including the technology when appropriate can enhance critical thinking skills and keep the students interested in the task at hand. I believe that technology is essential to deepen the level of learning in any classroom.
The BYOD policy, (minus cellphones) has thus far been running quite smooth. Students are able to take notes faster, research deeper, and use a plethora of online tools such as Quizlet, YouTube and Google Classroom by brining in their devices. I have also found that students are more comfortable on their own device (such as a MacBook or iPad) rather than the regular laptops that` the school provides.
I do believe that technology does have a time and place within the classroom. Teachers within my building use websites such as Glogster, Kahoot.it, Newsela, Google Classroom, and Quizlet in order to teach students online literacy skills. These websites are used to teach students how to create a blog / online graphic posters, post submissions / discussions (such as the forums that we find on Blackboard), create flash cards, and even to be able to read and highlight information in news articles that are assigned by the teacher. I have found that even though teachers use many different websites, the students are able to follow along easier because the teachers are sure to demonstrate how the website is set up, where their work will be located, and techniques the students can use to be successful on that website. The teachers also consistently use these websites while teaching their classes so that students are able to follow along.
From what I have observed, I do think that technology can effectively and authentically be integrated into classroom activities. I believe that using technology and online tools have the ability to make students more interested in whatever the topic of the day may be. For example, a few weeks ago when I covered a class, I taught a lesson on comparing and contrasting. Instead of handing out a sheet of paper to demonstrate how to use a venn diagram, I posted a venn diagram on the SMARTboard. By posting the venn diagram on the SMARTboard, students were more willing to suggest answers because they were able to come to the board and write the answer. Later on in the same class, we used technology in order to navigate through a website that gave us the “real” version of the story Hercules. We then watched the same section of the story that we read about in the Disney movie using YouTube. The kids were excited to compare and contrast the text version and the movie and see the modifications that Disney had made. Lessons such as these have a genuine and useful technological purpose in the classroom.
In my future classroom, I would like to integrate technology such as online tools, smart boards, and iClickers. I think that including the technology when appropriate can enhance critical thinking skills and keep the students interested in the task at hand. I believe that technology is essential to deepen the level of learning in any classroom.