In today's classrooms, students are learning in whole new ways. They are learning through advancements in technology which are digitizing the classroom and enhancing the learning experience. Instead of a traditional chalk board, teachers are using electronic blackboards with laser pointers. Instead of paper text books, kids are using e-readers like iPads or laptops instead of paper.
Technology has transformed the educational model. Gone are the lecture-based lesson plans. With their new ability to research, collaborate and communicate online anytime and anywhere, teachers now create project-based lessons that require students to use their new tools to complete assignments. They are not lecturing to the class, but making students more instrumental by relying on them to search for answers and discoveries. A teacher will type a question onto a digital blackboard and rely on the students to go online and discover the answer. Teachers and students now produce PowerPoint presentations and use social media for project-based work.
For students with disabilities, the arrival of the netbook (A small laptop computer designed primarily for accessing Internet-based applications), has improved their lives and prospects. With netbooks, teachers are accessing educational software and resources online that help them teach those who are hearing impaired or have other special needs, more effectively. Additionally, pictures and videos taken with mobile phones in a classroom can be shared immediately with students all over the world using blogs and social media tools.
By combining a strong curriculum with technology that helps students clearly hear individual phonemes and match them to frequent spellings, teachers can effectively engage a student's senses in the reading process.
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References:
Saldivar, E. (2012). Wireless learning: how mobile technology is transforming classrooms and empowering young women in Jordan. National Geographic. Retrieved from http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/07/18/wireless-learning-how-mobile-technology-is-transforming-classrooms-and-empowering-young-women-in-jordan/
Picardo, J. (2012). Mobile phones in the classroom: teachers share their tips. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/sep/10/mobile-phones-classroom-teaching
Teaching children to read using technology (2001). MindShift. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/10/will-the-new-online-standardized-tests-be-different/#more-24291
Image:
Joe Burbank (2011). Audubon Park Elementary School third grader Trent Cate raises his hand to ask a question. [print article], Retrieved October 16, 2012, from: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/orl-digital-classroom-pictures-001,0,6809271.photo
Kathy - so true that "gone are the lecture based lesson plans". When I was in the classroom, we used a form to complete our lesson plans. There was a space for student-student interaction, checking for understanding, individual practice, etc. It is impossible (and just a horrible idea) to create a lesson plan where one goes up in the front of the room and speaks.
ReplyDeleteWe are into digital now. There are pros and cons like anything else. But, I guess, yes in a way it's more convenient for both educators and students.
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