When reflecting on the past 8 weeks, the most refreshing idea for spicing up engagement and our lessons has been the encouragement to implement technology in the classroom. Having worked in the computer lab at our school, I loved all the ways that technology could be integrated into the lessons; and wondered why more teachers were not using it to their advantage. There are so many tools available to help enhance our lessons with technology. Although I will admit, as we started delving further into it yesterday, it can be a little overwhelming with all the different apps and websites that are available. Where do you start? Which app or website will benefit the subject you are teaching?One vantage point we have as students, is that we are still learning the ropes and can make it a habit to implement technology in our lessons. As we create our lesson plans for this class, we are researching those sources that will help enhance our lessons. And what's best, we have the opportunity to share these with Dr. Steffes and our fellow classmates to see if in fact it was a good tool to add.
We have to remember that we are not just teaching our students about a particular subject, we want them to learn important life skills as well, and what better way than utilizing the many resources we have available to assist in this journey. I am so excited to continue my research into the apps I would like to use in my classroom. I was already familiar with a couple of apps that our media specialist at school raves about, like Flipgrid and WeVideo. I'm looking forward to playing with some of the other apps we learned about yesterday to see how they can help enhance my lessons. I definitely know that I will find a way to use Great Big Story, as those videos can be great companions to many lessons, and as Dr. Steffes put it, they can also serve as great "hooks".
Lisset,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great point you made, technology is so important especially in the classroom. As I've done my observations I am noticing more and more technology which I never had in school and I don't have any children so who knew! We have so many opportunities and resources when it comes to apps and the internet its really mind blowing. I enjoyed the apps that we learned about in class on Tuesday. I do follow a lot of teacher bloggers and their Instagram, they are always posting neat apps!
Lisset,
ReplyDeletePersonally I think technology is hard for me so learning about it is very important for me because it has become such a huge part of the modern day classroom. Students use technology everyday anymore. I see that technology can enhance the lesson plans greatly, for example visually showing students maps, and places around the world that they may never be able to see in person. I also think life skills are important in the classroom, students need to be able to learn at all different levels not just by a textbook.
Great Post!
Abagail
When technology started rearing its head when I was teaching in the 90s and 00s, I felt just like you do now. It was a scary beast but I knew I had to bring it all together, as the kids were expecting, no, demanding it. The only thing you can do is search the web and play like I had you do the other night in class. It is the only way you will be able to know if it is a good fit for your students.
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