How Teachers Can Implement Technology
Ever feel like this: “Welcome to Technology-in-the-Classroom-ville. Population: You”. You know technology is important and you know you need to use it in your classroom, but you wish you knew of some people that had used it successfully so you could try out some ideas. Not to fear, the answer is available!
Many teachers all over the country are effectively integrating technology into their everyday classrooms. For example Ed Clement, who teaches at Hanson Park Elementary in Chicago, allows his non-English speaking students to use pocket translators, speaking dictionaries, and spell-checking electronic dictionaries. http://teachersnetwork.org/NTOL/howto/incorptech/c13456,.htm
Carl Sannito, a teacher at Suder Elementary in Chicago, makes his own handwriting worksheets using fonts in Microsoft Word. Sannito believes that handwriting is becoming a lost art, but the worksheets he makes helps his students practice their penmanship in cursive and print. http://teachersnetwork.org/NTOL/howto/incorptech/fonts.htm
Michelle Brohm teaches Graphic Design and Photography at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, NY where she teaches her students to effectively use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. This allows the students to have a better understanding, knowledge, and experience of how technology can be combined with art and is very useful to students who seek a career in publishing, graphic design, and photography. http://teachersnetwork.org/NTOL/howto/implement/liberating.htm
Finally Nancy Powell, a retired math teacher at Bloomington High School in Indianapolis, recommends using technology to help involve the “Uninvolved Student”. Nancy recommends finding little tasks for the uninvolved student to complete that will help the group accomplish their goal, but present it in such a way that the student thinks they are working by themselves. Allow the student to do research on their own for the project or lend them a digital camera for pictures for the group presentation. By making personal contact everyday with the uninvolved student and spending some time with them, you may just be able to reach them and help them to become more involved. http://teachersnetwork.org/NTOL/howto/incorptech/uninvolve.htm
I hope these have given you some ideas of how you can successfully incorporate technology in your classroom. Good luck and may the technology be with you!
What a great link to the article on handwiting fonts! I loved that article and learned a great tool on how to prepare writing worksheets. I take great pride in my penmanship, and am continually disappointed in the writing that I see many adults have. With the advances in technology, handwriting has been moved aside. I believe that taking pride in handwriting is an important part of learning and presenting yourself to teachers and employers. Taking time to write nicely and professionally can show organization and pride in what you are doing.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome that so many teachers are finding ways to help students by integrating technology in their classroom. I feel like these should serve as good examples for other teachers who are struggling to figure out ways to bring technology into their curriculum. I was thinking when I read the article about the teacher with non-English speaking students how technology is such a good middle ground you can present the information to each student in their own language and if a lets say spanish speaking student is having a problem there is a good possibility there is a HELP button for them or maybe a question forum for them in their own language. Awesome!!!
ReplyDelete