This
collaborative project was a great exploration exercise of the many technologies
available to teachers. I started my search and was overwhelmed at the amount of
information I was able to find that kept pouring out at me one after the other.
The group was able to generate an authentic list of many beneficial
technologies but it is nowhere near complete as there are thousands left out
there that we need to bring notice to. It was also great for us to collaborate
because we are able to put our own view on what we thought was most beneficial
to the classroom and our students.
More
than just finding links and fancy names, I was able to understand how
accessible and easy to use these technologies are. As a teacher, we are
provided with step by step instructions and lesson plans to support our
teaching along with additional resources so the students can explore on their
own. There are fun games and software students can interact with and learn
while building up their curiosity through modeling—a change from continuous
direct instruction. I can see how some of these technologies can be used in the
CURR 314 class as we are discussing different types of assessments and what
will constitute a balanced assessment. For example, many of the virtual activities
such as using software to create and learn can be used as a formative
assessment.
Seeing
all the great technologies available and easily accessible to teachers, I will
definitely save the spreadsheet and refer back to it when I am ready to teach. As
I learned from my Read 411 professor, teaching must be cognizant with the
changing nature of technology along with other factors of the environment. This
way, both teachers and students will continue to be effective.
Hi Ariel, our experiences with this interactivity (although in different subjects) were similar. I was also overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite resources available to us that I never knew existed. I'm glad you pointed out that our spreadsheets are by no means complete. We could continue to add to them indefinitely as we discover more technologies and new ones are created. In addition, we both realized that some of the online or software-based activities can serve as assessment tools. I believe part of the challenge we will face will be incorporating technologies successfully in schools that are not yet properly equipped for their usage.
ReplyDeleteAriel,
ReplyDeleteI was also really surprised to see how many technologies are available to us, as teachers and to our future students. This activity has really helped me learn about the variety of technologies available and how they can be useful. We do not have to rely only on calculators as technology in a math class, but can use different programs, websites and other resources to make lessons fun and interesting. My group also worked well together and it was great to see what technologies they have found. We had to always double check what others put in so no one would repeat the technologies. In result, we came up with a really good list that I will definitely use in the future.