Hello All! Welcome to Room 20’s classroom blog. This will be the place to find out what is going on in our class. I would like to start with a topic that is near and dear to my heart, (besides your children that is) and that is our PTA Fundraiser this year. We hope to raise money for new computers and other technologies for our classroom.
I have heard from some of you that you have concerns on the use of certain technologies in our room. Part of the purpose of this blog is to answer any and all questions that you may have on this issue. The other part of this blog is to encourage you to help in our PTA’s fundraising efforts so that we may purchase new computers and other essential educational technologies for use in our room. I sincerely hope that you will see the benefits of this endeavor and become involved in not only the fundraising portion of this but as well in your child’s exploration and use of educational technologies.
As I mentioned, some of you may feel that technology may not have a place in our classrooms. I know that many students use their phones or computers for playing games or texting friends, but I would like provide you with some alternative ideas on using technology as an educational tool.
First of all, I must say that simply just the act of using technology does not raise a student’s achievement level; we must be mindful on how we use it in our teaching and in the content being taught. Research conducted by the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET, 2005), has demonstrated that technology - used under specific conditions, with strategies matched to given subject areas – has a positive impact on student learning and motivation.
Roblyer and Doering (2010) further state that technologies, when integrated into teaching, can influence a student’s academic achievement through many areas such as:
: Develop higher order thinking skills and problem-solving skills
: Improve student motivation, attitude, and interest in learning
: Help prepare students for the workforce
: And address the needs of low-performing and at-risk students and those with learning handicaps (p.15).
Another thing to consider when determining the value of integrating technology into the classroom learning is that “when students use presentation software instead of cardboard charts to give a report, they gain experience for college classrooms and business offices, where computer-based presentation are the norm” (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 49). If you would like more information on technology in the classroom, I encourage you to visit the CARET website.
There are two theories on how to integrate technology into the classroom; there is the directed (or objectivism) theory and there is the constructivist (or inquiry-based) theory. Directed instruction is grounded primarily in behavioral, information-processing, and cognitive behaviorist’s theories on learning. This model stresses individual work and teacher directed learning. Technology applications associated with this theory would be drill and practice and tutorials.
The constructivist view, however, evolved from other branches of cognitive learning theories (Roblyer and Doering, 2010). This model stresses cooperative work and nontraditional exploration methods that help students think on their own. Students seek information, knowledge, or truth through questioning and discovery. Technology applications that would augment this theory as well as directed learning would be problem solving, multimedia applications, and web-based media (Roblyer and Doering, 2010). If you would like to know more on these two theories I encourage you to visit the following websites: teAchnology –Direct Instruction and teAchnology – Inquiry Based Learning.
You may be wondering what is it exactly I want in our classroom that will help our students achieve more, gain higher levels of understanding, and be motivated to try new ideas. My wish list may be long but for the immediate benefit to all in our classroom I would love for our students to have our own computer terminals consisting of a minimum of 6 computers with internet capabilities. Having these in our room would greatly benefit our students with their research and report writing. For example, we will soon be learning about China in our Social Studies unit and, using the constructivist approach, our class would use the computers to advance their knowledge by exploring various websites on China, investigating both past and present ideas on religion, government, cultural values, and family. Students then, working in cooperative groups, would creatively develop power point presentations to present to the whole class.
Another item high on my list is a Smart Board. It is an interactive whiteboard that uses touch detection and makes it possible for teachers like me to create content rich, dynamic lessons which address specific student skills. For example, using the directed learning approach, we would be able to look at websites as a class and learn specific steps in how to use search engines and how to format power points. For math this would be a great tool for students to learn concepts and to work on specific skill steps in problems with individuals or pairs of students working on the smart board. This is an interactive board that you really must see to appreciate. Please view this short video to learn how a Smart Board works in the classroom Smart Board.
I hope that this blog has provided you with food for thought on what I see as an important subject matter that affects all of us in Room 20. Technology is everywhere and as an educator, I must prepare your children for a productive future. It is important to teach skills that will be valued not only in the workplace but is vital for success in higher education. I encourage you to post comments and ask questions in the comment section. And please consider donating to the PTA’s cause. I hope that you agree with me that technology is the wave of the future and we should all catch the wave by supporting the PTA’s Technology Fundraiser.
Thank you all for your support.
References
CARET, Center for Applied Research Education Technology. (2005). Questions and answers: student learning. Retrieved February 2, 2011, from http://caret.iste.org/index.cfm
Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon/Pearson.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an educational technology course at National University. It is not a real fundraising blog
