Blogging in the classroom would be a great first step. Its easy, its free, and once you figure it out it can be fun. It would also be a great way for teachers to keep contact with the parents of their students. Blogging can be used as a way for everyone to have a voice in a discussion and it lets the students have that "technology time" that they crave. Blogging not only benefits the students and parents but the teachers as well. There are thousands of blogs out there for educators with tips on using technology and thousands more helping teachers figure out how to stay updated with the changing times.Free Technology for Teacheris a blog that provides anyone with free apps and many other ways to use technology for free in the classroom. At first I hated the idea of blogging, but after exploring it for awhile I see that it can be one of the most useful tools as an educator. For example in a kindergarten classroom blogs could be used in place of keeping a journal for certain subjects. You could also use technology as a reward when students finish the assigned work, such as a blog post, they may use the rest of the time to do what they wanted with the computer as long as it was still educational.
Monday, September 9, 2013
The War On Technology
It seems to me that these days its a war between technology in classrooms, teachers who are unwilling to use it, and students who can't step away from a computer screen for more than 5 minutes. By educating the educators on how to use blogs, social media, tablets, and all these other tools we can work with students rather than against them in the war against technology and everyone can come out on top.
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I know a lot of parents who really depend on the teacher and student blogs to know what is going on in school. Many are too busy or unable to make all the parent meetings, and this is a good way to stay in touch.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of "technology time." Do you think that could be used as a reward for good behavior?
ReplyDeleteI never thought of using the blog to let the parents know what is going on. That is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are always needing ideas when teaching. I think that it is great that there is a website that teachers can go on and get apps to help them incorporate technology into their classroom.
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point that many teachers are trying to keep students away from using technology without even considering how they could turn technology into a positive learning experience. It is good for students to have a balance of technology that they love and learning that they make not be so crazy about.
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned the problems we have had with technology so far- such as kids who can't keep off of it. If kids were taught at an earlier age how to appropriately use technology at appropriate times, we may have less problems with the over use of technology.
ReplyDeleteI think that using the blog to keep parents informed is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that you could say there is a war against teachers and technology. I think it would be all the teachers best interest to start using technology in their classrooms.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is a tool. It can be useful, but it can be misused. I like to repeat (probably too much) the analogy of a man buying a $200 wrench and then using it for a paperweight. Is it a tool? Yes. Is it being used to its fullest potential? No way.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of making it fun for the student but also involving learning at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact you want to use it as a reward as well as a learning tool.
ReplyDeleteParents always need to be informed about stuff, because the majority of the time whatever they announced in school never even gets home to the parents. This way, parents could have all they needed to know at their figure tips. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good idea to get educators educated in technology so it can be used along with students. It's also good to set a certain time for "technology" time that will also involve learning, but students may have more fun and freedom of expression with it.
ReplyDeleteI like that you want to make it fun for the student but you do not lose sight of the teaching side!
ReplyDeleteUsing technology as a reward is a fabulous idea! Everyone is obsessed with their devices these days, kids included, and this will encourage them to get their work done quickly. I would suggest having the teacher check the work first before they can get on because some students will just rush through their assignments. By checking it they will learn to do their work quickly and correctly.
ReplyDeleteThe blog for parents is a good way to communicate with the parent if you need to contact them or even keep them updated in what they child should be doing in class during that period.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you would use blogging and technology to help kids learn. That's a fun way to help the new generation.
ReplyDeleteOh how true! I have battled with my own children to get away and have some screen free time. However I can not complain because my children are learning so much in their high school because each one is given their own MAC book to use all year. My daughter loves to get her homework done via the computer. It was like pulling teeth when she had to do the worksheets. I am thankful that our district has begun to embrace technology in the upper grades. Now if we can get them more involved in elementary school that would be great!
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