Technology has changes faster then most teachers can keep up with. Since I was in elementary school email, the Internet, and distance education are all new tools that advancing technology has provided teachers. I will teach a group of students that is used to these new technologies. To keep them engaged, and to use the best learning tools for my classroom I will need to be a dedicated life long learner. A specific focus of my learning will be technology that can be used in the classroom. I looked at three different emerging technologies and how they could enhance learning in my classroom.
First I explored video streaming for education, I read about it on the Apple Education website( http://www.apple.com/education/ ). Apple has an entire page, called "Videography for Educators" that provides tips and uses for teachers interested in using video streaming in their classroom. I found that videos can be made the same way as the DIV Project videos we made in class, or you can use live video streams of experts speaking about their field. Live videos would enable the class to ask questions if the experts and see the subject they are studying in a real life setting. Any videos could be archived on a website for the community to interact with, or for students to look back at. Webcasts can also be made interactive by incorporating slides, additional URL resources, discussion boards, or audio files along with the video streaming. At following URL there are instructions for every step of producing, and publishing a video: http://images.apple.com/education/streamingsolution/pdf/production_cookbookJune05.pdf
Second, I looked at the resources on Google for Educators (http://www.google.com/educators/index.html ). This site provides teachers and students with tips for researching on the web, using Google Earth, Google Docs and Spreadsheets, and other resources for learning. Google Earth can be used to bring the geography of any place on the planet to your classroom, study transportation, or recreate historical settings. Using the visuals that Google Earth provides will help engage students in history and geography lessons. Students will be able know a country by more then a color on a map. Google Docs and Spreadsheets is a great way for students to collaborate on projects. For example, a student could gather information on an art movement in a spread sheet, store it to Google Docs and Spreadsheets, then other students could add information they gathered about another artist so that they could compare the details of the different movements. Other resources like Blogger will help students keep reflective journals, share their work with and receive feedback from the community, and even serve as a form of assessment.
Third, and finally, I explored Microsoft Solutions for Educators (http://www.microsoft.com/education/solutions.mspx). I found this site a little difficult to navigate, but it does offer Lesson Plans, Product Tutorials, and information on the Anywhere, Anytime Learning Program (AAL). The AAL gives works to give each student a computer. When each student has a laptop, it levels the playing field; they all have access to the same programs and information. Collaboration is much easier when all students have access to the same data at all times. Along with facilitating collaboration, this program is designed to make grading and studying more efficient, and allow students access to more information (like RSS feeds, online databases and textbooks). As an art teacher I could use this program to help absent students catch up on work they missed by sending the information to their laptop. Students could work collaboratively on art history projects, publish photos of their work online, or create digital art and websites.
Keeping up with changing technology, as a teacher will be a challenge, but a challenge well worth the benefits for my classroom.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
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