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| Photo Credit to bgolub on Flickr |
When we use technology for the most rewarding profession of all times something magical happens. Studying becomes more interesting, lectures become fun, and homework and projects are done with more enthusiasm. Digital childhood seemed to me like a scary thing at first. The fact that most of 8-18 years old are using some type of digital or electronic technology almost every waking hour outside of school ( Maloy, p.17) makes me wonder what are we doing wrong. That being said this world is inevitably changing more rapidly than ever thanks to technology, so instead of fighting the change we should use this double edge sword for good.
One things that particularly caught my attention, because I have never heard of it, was the clicker. The clicker is basically a device that students use to participate in class, it kinda looks like calculator. The clicker sends each individual student's answer to the professor's computer. This benefits the professor by having all the scoring done for him, which reduces the work load and is also environmental friendly. For the student I think that besides that it feels less traditional, it gives the shy students the opportunity to participate without being afraid of not getting it right and then feeling embarrassed. I myself would like to have the opportunity of being in a class that uses clicker either as a student or a professor. The things with the clicker is that i think it will work best in a large class, not so much in a small elementary school setting.
Another good things that I see about technology is that it helps you save time in the classroom. If you prepare properly and efficiently you will be able to have everything all set, that way when you go with your students you can actually dedicate time for them, help them with their own specific needs. To me that is wonderful, and that is one of the reason why I would prefer a small class. Speaking about small classes another benefit is if there is a need to buy computers, other devices like tablets or maybe some educational software,having a small class can make it easier to fund. Besides there are so many resources out there for example printable coloring pages on any subject imaginable, DIY projects, classroom decoration ideas, the options are endless.
In conclusion, yes technology can be evil and beneficial depending on what you use it for, but as educators it is our job, our duty, to use something that they like and transform it from meaningless waste of time to a lesson to remember. There are many tools out there like the clicker, that can help us achieve our goals, there are multiple resources, websites, soft wares, that can put a little bit of sparkle in our daily routines. Nobody likes to eat the same breakfast everyday for a year, so why should we give the children the same lectures using the same methods that have been used for years.
One things that particularly caught my attention, because I have never heard of it, was the clicker. The clicker is basically a device that students use to participate in class, it kinda looks like calculator. The clicker sends each individual student's answer to the professor's computer. This benefits the professor by having all the scoring done for him, which reduces the work load and is also environmental friendly. For the student I think that besides that it feels less traditional, it gives the shy students the opportunity to participate without being afraid of not getting it right and then feeling embarrassed. I myself would like to have the opportunity of being in a class that uses clicker either as a student or a professor. The things with the clicker is that i think it will work best in a large class, not so much in a small elementary school setting.
Another good things that I see about technology is that it helps you save time in the classroom. If you prepare properly and efficiently you will be able to have everything all set, that way when you go with your students you can actually dedicate time for them, help them with their own specific needs. To me that is wonderful, and that is one of the reason why I would prefer a small class. Speaking about small classes another benefit is if there is a need to buy computers, other devices like tablets or maybe some educational software,having a small class can make it easier to fund. Besides there are so many resources out there for example printable coloring pages on any subject imaginable, DIY projects, classroom decoration ideas, the options are endless.
In conclusion, yes technology can be evil and beneficial depending on what you use it for, but as educators it is our job, our duty, to use something that they like and transform it from meaningless waste of time to a lesson to remember. There are many tools out there like the clicker, that can help us achieve our goals, there are multiple resources, websites, soft wares, that can put a little bit of sparkle in our daily routines. Nobody likes to eat the same breakfast everyday for a year, so why should we give the children the same lectures using the same methods that have been used for years.
Resources
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Using Clickers to Enhance Teaching and Learning: Pilot Case Studies in Science Programmes. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2015.
Yay! You got your first post on your first blog!! :) Congratulations
ReplyDeleteThe points that resonated with you are good ones - ones that you'll likely build upon over the semester's time. Nice job on your reflective writing - a skill that you will further hone, in future posts. You also did an awesome job in finding a relevant video and websites to support your writing as well as adding APA formatted resources- excellent!
The things to work on for the next blog post: 1) Rather than isolating the video, embed it within the writing (like you might see in a magazine or newspaper article) 2) Be sure to include the APA formatted citation for the YouTube video in the resources (rather than the hyperlink you used). Also for web-based citations, there's an option to include the URL and that is very helpful for the reader who may want to read more about the Clickers in this post.
Overall, a great first post - keep up the good work. :)