My Tech Experience 'Back Then'
During my high school days, we had three computer labs. Two were PC labs, and one was an all Mac lab. For every class I was in, we would go to these computer labs at least four times a year. This was help for us students and the teacher, to have time getting more comfortable with technology. After I graduated, my high school put in all Mac computers in each of the computer labs because the Mac computers are getting more popular and well known.
Observing a first grade classroom last semester, I could tell the teacher I was shadowing, loved using technology and her students did as well. She had a huge smart board that was stationed in her own classroom. I could tell the students loved having the smart board and gave them a chance to go up to it and answer the questions in front of the class. This also made it fun and more students engage and want to volunteer to answer the questions asked on the smart board. She also had about five iPads for her students to share during free time play. This gave the students as well as the teacher more experience and time with technology, and for them to get exposed to it.
I have a very similar situation in my high school with smart boards. It was very interesting to see what kinds of things that they could do with them to enhance our learning. I believe it is important to have these types of tools at our disposal so that we are able to elevate the learning for our students. We also had a Mac lab at my high school and it didn't really get used that much, but there is a real value in making sure that students get that experience of using the larger computers. Also, when you were talking about the smart board that the teacher was using in the classroom for your placement, mine did the same. She even let me use it for a math lesson that i had me doing almost all of the different tools that were on the the smart board.
ReplyDeleteI had used smart boards in my high school too. All the teachers had them in my school and for a student to write on the smart board it was like a privilege. Personally, I loved using them and writing on the board in front of the class.We also used the smart board a lot in my math class too we did a lot of math problems on the board too. Wow thats great that your high school had four computers labs. At my school we had two but they were all dell computers, we had no mac computers at all. I think thats great that you were observing a classroom that had 5 iPads for the students to play with when they have free time.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that we had the same experience with technology in high school. I never really used computers in high school, only for research projects which was very minimal. My school was lucky enough to have all Mac desktops in the library and all Mac laptops for mobile carts. But, I never really got to use them. I think it is important to for students to understand technology because I did not when I came into SNHU. That gave me a disadvantage because I had to catch up to speed on all these websites I knew nothing about. I agree with you that having technology in young classrooms will get the students engaged more because what student doesn't love technology? If it gets them more engaged and participating then it will help them in the long run by not being so shy in classes.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, it made me remember how I used to use a smart board almost every day in my senior math class. I was taking calculus at the time and though I didn't struggle with the class per say, I did have trouble understand the material at times. Using the smart board during class helped me understand and made the material much more clearer for me. Though we were seventeen and eighteen year old students, most of my classmates became excited when they were called up to use the smart board and answer questions, just as the younger children did in the class that you shadowed. I think it's a great tool to have in the classroom, especially in math. Math isn't the easiest material to learn so having a piece of technology that can clear up confusion is more beneficial than not in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI had smartboards in some of my classrooms in high school as well, however, we never used them! It sounds really awesome to use them in math class too! I never would of thought of using them for completing an online worksheet and I think it's great how your teacher kind of let the students help her learn. I think it's great that the classroom you observed had students go up and participate in using the smartboard is a great way for students to be more involved. I know I
ReplyDeletewas a shy student in school and I know if I had something fun to play with I would have been more willing to participate.
I love smart boards! My high school had them all over our library, but they were unfortunately barely used. Its nice seeing that schools actually use them! I feel like having a teacher utilize a smart board during math lessons would be extremely helpful for students of all ages. Its great that the class you shadowed used technology because all children these days are infatuated and very curious about technology. Using iPods in a class of first graders sounds like it could be potentially distracting, but I'm sure the teacher used them for learning opportunities as well as free play.
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