Observations of Technology in the Classroom
In the classroom I observe there is minimal use of technology, especially on the part of the student. The teacher has a SMART board which is utilized during most classes in order to deliver PowerPoint presentations. The presentations I’ve observed have never included student use of the SMART board, tough the teacher occasionally writes on her slides. It seems a shame that a somewhat costly and potentially engaging technology like the SMARTboard is being underutilized. In a Tech&Learning blog 10 uses for the SMARTboard include note-taking and brainstorming, games, United Streaming, interactive flannel boards, click-and-drag activities, interactive worksheets, board games, graphic organizers, interactive websites, and PowerPoint presentations. The only other technology that has been used during observation is the television and VCR. The students recently viewed a movie during class, when the teacher needed a substitute for the day.
I would like to say that when I teach I would utilize technology more often and more effectively than the teachers I observe. I hesitate to say that when even young teachers, like my own mentor teacher, are not all using technology, though it is something they would have grown-up with and been trained to use. The potential for student learning when technologies like SMARTboards, blogs, websites, etc… are great, but it seems something is stopping teachers from choosing to use them. Hopefully through the skills and content learned in the EMAT515 course and some experimenting I will learn to effectively utilize technology to further student learning of content material and develop technological literacy.
April 16th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
It is very disappionting that so many of us have seen technology gone to waste. I think that it brings up the point that, training and refreshers are needed to show how technology can help in the classroom. This sounds like “think of all the starving people in…” when you don’t want to eat your dinner but, many urban schools are lacking technology and there really is a responsibility to use it in a way that really adds to your class if you have it available.
April 16th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I agree with you Ashley. It is a shame that the teacher does not utilize the technology available in a manner that benefits the students and may increase student involvement, interest and motivation. I wonder why the teacher doesn’t incorporate it more? Does the teacher not trust the students?
April 16th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Yes Ashley,
As I made reference to in my bog, it is sort of confusing as to why teachers have the technology if they will not use it? And, as you commented on my page, some teachers write grants for technologies, such as the Smart Boards, and still do not use it. This is all very confusing to me. I know they must be very very busy but even if the teachers don’t have time to learn every single thing about the technologies they have they can at least learn the basics…and maybe every week they could make a point to learn something new? I don’t know, just an idea, becasue clearly…this is the age of technology and we have a responsibility to our students to teach them about it.