Looking at current research, this video addresses most of the biggest concerns that teachers voice when asked about implementing new technologies. Teachers are afraid of the complexity (hence the word easy was used extensively), the relialibity (also addressed), and the amount of change needed to make things work in their classrooms (which could explain why the students are still in rows).
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Should There Be an Easy Button for Technology?
After watching the Smart Ease of Use video, I was left with many different conflicting thoughts and notions. Yes, I was bothered by the amount of times "easy" was used in the video and I definitely think there are better ways to use technology within classrooms. However, I also understood the desire of the company to present technology in a friendly and non-threatening manner. Many teachers may be afraid to incorporate technology into their courses because they worry that they will not be able to operate it well. This was supported by the comment on the blog by Denber which said,"
it I think a lot of teachers may be intimidated by technology because they don't know how kids will react to the change and are also afraid that technology may become a distraction rather than a tool. With this, I think it's true that if technology in a classroom is too complex, then it can be a hindrance because the students will not be able to work it or use it for its preferred purpose. On the other hand, I don't think that our fear of change or lack of knowledge should hold us back from advancing our classrooms in a beneficial way with technology. Incorporating technology in classrooms may be a slow drift, as teachers and students figure out what role technology will play in the class and learn to use technology properly. All great things come to those who wait. We must be patient with our students and teachers when it comes to the use of technology. That doesn't mean that I think we should halt the advancement of technology, rather we should make sure to present technology in a non-intimidating and understandable fashion. Technology doesn't necessarily have to be "easy" but we should be able to understand its operations and purpose.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Tech Learning: BEING SOCIAL
http://www.techlearning.com/features/0039/being-social-how-social-media-can-transform-your-school-classrooms/53437
This article on Tech & Learning made me very excited thinking about the role that technology can play in connecting my students with other students, classrooms, and cultures throughout the nation and even the world. As a future Spanish teacher, culture and language are so important and the best way to learn these things is to experience them in action. This article provided many new insights into ways to use technology that I hadn't really thought of before. One of the ideas was to use a program called VoiceThread to allow the students to record their thoughts and responses as well as listen to their answers. This would provide a great opportunity for students to practice speaking Spanish in a non-threatening way (sometimes it's scary to speak in front of the class, I know I find it to be!). One of my favorite ideas is the use of EPals. The program EPals allows teachers to select classrooms from 200 different countries from a specific language and age group and set up a global community between their classroom and yours. And it's completely free! (Skype would be great here as well) I'm so excited about the atmosphere and culture that this would bring to a classroom, it could really open students' eyes to the culture and language that they are learning about in class. Another idea that I loved was the creation of Wikia novelas, or pieces of fiction through role-playing simulation. This would be a great way for students to collaborate their Spanish writing and speaking together to create a story. The program also allows you to see who contributed what to the wiki, which would be helpful for grading. The last idea that I fell in love with was the use of the program LiveMocha. It is a worldwide community of language learners that lets students connect with people from across the world. "Students get feedback from native speakers as they practice reading and writing skills and give feedback to users who are learning English." What an awesome and unique cross-cultural opportunity for learning that would be! This article really opened my eyes to all the benefits that technology can bring, usually I am against too much use of technology, but I'm starting to see that it can be such a great facilitator of community!
This article on Tech & Learning made me very excited thinking about the role that technology can play in connecting my students with other students, classrooms, and cultures throughout the nation and even the world. As a future Spanish teacher, culture and language are so important and the best way to learn these things is to experience them in action. This article provided many new insights into ways to use technology that I hadn't really thought of before. One of the ideas was to use a program called VoiceThread to allow the students to record their thoughts and responses as well as listen to their answers. This would provide a great opportunity for students to practice speaking Spanish in a non-threatening way (sometimes it's scary to speak in front of the class, I know I find it to be!). One of my favorite ideas is the use of EPals. The program EPals allows teachers to select classrooms from 200 different countries from a specific language and age group and set up a global community between their classroom and yours. And it's completely free! (Skype would be great here as well) I'm so excited about the atmosphere and culture that this would bring to a classroom, it could really open students' eyes to the culture and language that they are learning about in class. Another idea that I loved was the creation of Wikia novelas, or pieces of fiction through role-playing simulation. This would be a great way for students to collaborate their Spanish writing and speaking together to create a story. The program also allows you to see who contributed what to the wiki, which would be helpful for grading. The last idea that I fell in love with was the use of the program LiveMocha. It is a worldwide community of language learners that lets students connect with people from across the world. "Students get feedback from native speakers as they practice reading and writing skills and give feedback to users who are learning English." What an awesome and unique cross-cultural opportunity for learning that would be! This article really opened my eyes to all the benefits that technology can bring, usually I am against too much use of technology, but I'm starting to see that it can be such a great facilitator of community!
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