Recently, I always think that if we can live without technology in 21st century. Fifteen years ago, most of families just had a television and in China some families just had the black and white one. When I was in primary school, only very rich families could have a computer. As for my own technology using experience, I remember that I got my first telephone (not smartphone) when I was in 8th grade; in 9th grade I started using my own computer and iPad became a part of my life was in my Sophomore year. Today’s children, however, they know how to play smartphone, iPad or Kindle and computer. One of my friends’ child who is only three years old knows how to find kids’ movies on the computer. As a future teacher, I need to clearly recognize that technology has become an essential part of today’s children. Teachers not only need to know how to use technologies in the classroom, but also need to teach students how to use these technologies correctly in their study and daily life.
In Chapter 3, it gives me a lot of advice to transform learning with unique and powerful technology. As I mentioned before, technology has already gotten into nearly every family and 21st century’s children has known how to play with these technologies before they go to school. If a teacher can make some connections between home and classroom, playing and learning by using technology effectively, it will make our students love study. Also, using some technology in teaching will make it easier for teachers to track students learning process and leave feedbacks as soon as possible. After reading, I watch a video which is named A Different Way to Think about Technology inEducation. I feel like that a teacher is the people who can make students know the world and themselves better. There is no doubt that the world and today’s children have changed a lot with the technology. Teachers need to keep up with these changes, or even walking in front of them.
As for Chapter 9, it explores about using multimedia and digital technologies to present and share information to out students. Students often multimodal learn, which means that the teacher combines spoken words with visuals, written text, audio, simulations, or models. Schools today consist of multimedia technologies. Most of teachers use PowerPoint in their classrooms but I feel like that some of them do not make it interesting. Why we use PowerPoint in our classroom? We want to make the class more interesting, let our students focus on the lesson and help students learn more form the class. However, if the PowerPoint just shows something from the textbook or the teacher just read the PowerPoint, it will make the class have no novelty. There is a good article about how to use PowerPoint effective, which I learned a lot from it.
Questions:
1. How can teachers create PowerPoint presentations for maximum teaching potential and learning impact?
2. What is your opinion on using video in classroom?
Hi Mandy!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post! Your question "How should we incorporate the use of video's in the classroom" is great. I think it is important to incorporate video clips whenever relevant to instruction. I like to use BrainPop or BrainPopJR to search for clips when I am planning lessons. After reading Ch. 3 and 9 I realized there are many other ways to incorporate videos in the classroom. Students could create their own video and share with classmates or even the teacher could create a video to show a skill. I think it is important to remember there are many different ways to incorporate technology and for me to remember to think of including more than just video clips when thinking of videos!
Very good points!
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think using video in classroom is a handy tool to expand students' understanding and also make better connections with the real world outside the classroom, especially for students who are visual and auditory learners .Students, for example, will be able to navigate impossible field trips -- inside human body, or off to another planet. Also, videos can help illustrate complex and abstract content and notions through its animated features. Educational channels on Youtube, for instance, has made learning funny,interesting and lasting.
My concern for integration of videos in classroom is that, for certain students, closed caption or referenced transcription may be necessary; if not,before or after the video played, instructors need to well guide students through the ideas or information embedded in the video to engage their attention. Still, the length of the video should be well measured. As is the case with any technology used in classroom, video per se doesn't make a big difference -- a transformative instruction significantly calls for the involvement of content and pedagogical knowledge.
I watched the Tedx Talks video you posted, which is absolutely mind-blowing, not to mention the presentation itself is a good modeling. Of course, the video offers some answers to your question 1. As for me, to answer the question in an opposite way: rarely can simply putting lengthy words on the plain template and verbatim reading through them in the class create any teaching potential and learning impact, though quite often seen.
Hello Mandy,
ReplyDeleteI think PowerPoint is one of those tools that can be grossly misused in the classroom. When I think of Powerpoint, my mind always goes to class presentations in which my fellow classmates get up to the board and simply read from the presentation. These presentations make my skin crawl. There is no personality and no need for the teacher- anyone can just read the text and get the idea.
For PowerPoint to be effective I think teachers just need to use it as a place to jot down simplified notes or talking points and then have appropriate visuals/links that can aid instruction. The teachers and the students should be able to discuss and interact with the information, not just read it. My biggest tip for good Powerpoints is the general rule: sentences or jots NOT paragraphs!!!!