Melanie Behlmann
mehlbehl.blogspot.com
EDU-225
February 5, 2015
Entry
2: Technology to Enhance Instruction
Integrating
Instructional Technology
Instructional technology is extremely
important, by integrating technology into the classroom; it allows the learning
process to be deepened and also greatly enhances it. By integrating technology
into the classroom, it allows students to participate in groups, gives them quick
and interaction and feedback routinely, connections to experts in the real
world, and very importantly active engagement. Technology can be used to
facilitate and enhance instruction in the classroom in many ways, some of the
ways in which I would like to use technology in my classroom, is by using
edublogs, educational apps, and tablets. I will make sure that all of these
technologies that I will use in my classroom are routine, and made clear to all
students, and also that all of these three technologies support the curricular
goals.
(Insert Name of
Specific Technology Here) (100 words)
The first technology that I have
chosen to integrate into my classroom is edublogs. There are many ways in which
edublogs can be used in the classroom to facilitate and enhance instruction.
One way that edublogs can be used is to share new downloads materials, links,
etc. Any an everything that is posted to the blog will automatically become
accessible for students and parents both at home as well as at school. Edublogs
are also very safe to use, because they require specific passwords to access.
Edublogs are also great for online discussions, and collaboration. The students
are easily able to reply to posts on the blog, and talk about specific topics
through comments on the forum. Edublogs are also a wonderful tool for posting
news letters in order to stay in touch with students, parents, and the
community about what is happening in the classroom. Edublogs are great for
active student engagement, a motivation, because the students are able to
create their own work, and from this teachers are able to co-edit and edit if
need be. Edublogs are excellent for teachers, because it allows them to share
lesson plans, and in doing this, it can become a very productive event, as I
allows for collaboration and ideas. Edublogs also allow students and teachers
to integrate videos, podcasts and other media to enhance learning and
instruction. Edublogs can also be used to gain useful information on how to
further facilitate and enhance instruction. I will use edublog in my classroom
in every way possible in order to enhance instruction and to get my students
motivated and actively engaged in their lessons. I will try to incorporate my
edublogs into all curriculums at certain points as I see fit. Edublogs (2015).
(Insert Name of
Specific Technology Here) (100 words)
Another technology that could be used
in the classroom in order to facilitate and enhance instructions is educational
apps. An app called Class Dojo is a wonderful example of an educational app to
be utilized in the classroom. This
app allows teachers to give merits as well as demerits to students based on
student conduct that comes straight from a device on android. Class Dojo aids
teachers in improving behavior within the classroom by creating data on
behavior that can be shared with administrators as well as parents immediately.
Students are engaged and motivated while using Class Dojo, as they are able to
create their own monster avatars. Class Dojo is great for teachers, because
they are able to spend more time on instruction and less time on behavior
management in the classroom. Class Dojo is good for students, because while
parents are getting immediate feedback, as are the students and this can really
aid in positive behavior, and steer them away from the negative behavior. This
app is great for parents, because they can easily keep tabs on how their
children are doing in the classroom.
Remind101 is also an excellent
educational app used to facilitate and enhance instruction in the classroom. Remind
101 is a wonderful tool to be used for communication between students, parents,
teachers, and the community. Remind 101 enables teachers to quickly send SMS
messages to specific students, or the entire class to remind them of anything
that may be coming up. Or due, or just to give them some uplifting words of
encouragement. Remind 101 are great for parents, as they can quickly receive
messages about any upcoming events, or happenings that they need to be aware
of. Remind 101 allows the teacher much more time for instruction, because there
is less time spent writing notes home to each individual student or parent. I
will use educational apps in my classroom in order to facilitate and enhance
instruction and make sure that I am meeting all students and parent’s needs. I
believe that educational apps can be used across the curriculum in order to
facilitate and enhance instruction, as it allows more time for instruction.
K-12 Teachers Alliance (2015).
(Insert Name of
Specific Technology Here) (100 words)
Another
technology that can be used in the classroom to facilitate and enhance
instruction is tablets. Tablets are a wonderful tool for students as well as
for teachers, students can use tablets for creating presentations of which are
very effective. There are several great aps for tablets that can be utilized to
integrate documents, images, video clips, and PowerPoints. Students are able o
do real-time writing, and drawing and these things are extremely interactive
and engaging. When the students are finished they can easily email their
finished assignments to the teacher for a grade. E-books on the tablet are another great tool
that can be used to enhance instruction. Many schools do not have the funds for
updated text books, so they are stuck with outdated books and that means out
dated information. Using tablets in the classroom allows for teachers and
students to have updated information at their fingertips. In my classroom I
will use tablets often; I would use them as E-books, for presentations,
efficiency, and computer skills. I believe that the use of tablets could
enhance curriculum in all areas, children are engaged, and motivated when they
are able to work on tablets and create their own personalized work. Secure Edge
Networks (2015).
Pros and Cons of using
Technology to Facilitate Learning (200-300 words)
Using technology in
the classroom is a little bit if a questionable situation, because it has
created a debate on whether or not it actually aids or slows down the learning
process. Integrating technology into the classroom has changed just about
everything in education today, as well as the way in which classrooms are
utilized by students and teachers. The integration of technology into the
classroom has both pros and cons on the way that learning is impacted.
Some of the pros to
integrating technology into the classroom are that it allows easier
accessibility of information. For example, students are able to use the
internet in order to quickly gather information and it can be done with ease,
which was not possible before. Internet also allows for distance learning where
students and teachers can easily interact with one another, and I can speak
from on a personal level that if there were no online education, I would not be
able to be where I am today, living out my dream and my passion to be an
educator!
Some of the cons to
integrating technology into the classroom are that it can at times become a
distraction to some students. Students have so many resources that are useful
at their fingertips; however they also have access to things like games,
surfing the internet, text messaging, etc. That can distract them form lessons
in the classroom. Cheating is another con that can be done through technology.
When a question comes about that students are unsure of, they can easily type
that question into any search engine and find the answers that thy need, and
this cancels out any critical thinking, which is a vital skill that they need
to use through life.
Technology will
impact my classroom in various ways. By using multiple forms of technology in
my classroom, I will keep my students focused, get them excited to learn,
enable them to learn at their own pace, and prepare them for their future. The
impact that technology will have on my classroom will be great! Both the
students and I will develop the skills that are absolutely essential for the 21st
Century. My students will think critically, collaborate with others, grow in
their communication abilities, and improve on motivation and engagement for
their ultimate success.
Wired and Wireless Classrooms (100-200 words)
Wired classrooms are when the use of
“physical wires means that electronic signals are being transmitted over a
metal conductor.” Skullbox.net (2014). For example, the internet sends copious
amounts of data through cables. Some of the pros to using wired technologies are
that the price is more affordable than that of wireless, the quality of service
is good, and it is reliable. Somme of the cons are the length of wires not
being perfect, wires can be affected by certain weather conditions, and they
can be hindered by noises coming from other machinery.
Wireless classrooms are where devices
are used that does not require cables to be used, such as lap tops,
tablets/iPads, cellular devices, etc. Some of the pros to using wireless tools
are that they have great range, a very high life expectancy rate, and they are
extremely reliable. Some of the cons in using wireless tools, are they are
higher in price, the speed in which they work can be slower than that of wired
tools, they can be interrupted by other wireless devices, and the signals can
be intercepted quite easily.
These two methods of wired and
wireless technologies will impact my classroom in many ways, I will make sure
to integrate both in order to facilitate and to enhance instruction in my
classroom, and I believe that in utilizing both wired and wireless technologies
in the classroom, allows for active engagement and leads to student’s success.
Conclusion
All
in all, I believe that integrating instructional technology into the classroom
is very important, as it opens up many doors for students and teachers. It
allows teachers to easily and effectively facilitate and enhance instruction to
their students, and can be used to support all curricular goals. The
integration of technology into the classroom also opens up many doors for
students in order to become successful in their learning process and beyond.
References:
Edublogs (2015) retrieved on February 4, 2015 from www.edublogs.org/10-ways-to-use-your-edublogs-to-teach
Edublogs (2015) retrieved on February 4, 2015 from www.edublogs.org/10-ways-to-use-your-edublogs-to-teach
Eutopia What Works in Education (2015) retrieved on
February 4, 2015 from www.eutopia.org/tchnology-integration-introduction
K-12 Teachers Alliance (2015) retrieved on February 4,2015
from www.teachhub.cm/20amazing-ipad-apps-educators
Secure Edge Networks (2015) retrieved on February 4, 2015
from www.secureedgenetworks.com/strtegy-blog/How-ipads-in-the-classroom=Enhance-Learning
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