In previous blogs I looked at the importance of using technology in today's classrooms. What if teachers aren't very good with technology themselves? How are they able to use technology on a project in their classroom when the students know more about it than they do? This website looks and discusses strategies for teachers in using technology. It has useful links for teachers to navigate to to learn more about specific technology of today.
http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-technology-integration-manual
This website discussed that the best way to become more educated on the technology your students may use it to use it yourself! It also gave a bunch of today's technology that students may be aware or or using. It gave descriptions of these and the benefits of specific types of technology.
Another thing presented to teachers which is one of the top ways to help teachers is by using Online Professional Development. There are a variety of links for teachers to go to to get updates on technology and become more knowledgeable about it. The website talks about these links and teachers able to move at their own pace when learning about these uses of technology. By having these sources teachers can incorporate technology more in their classroom because they are more up to date on technology.
I think its great that you included the site as a way for teachers to stay up to date with technology. We have seen already the tansition into teaching with technology in Menasha, with the implementation of ipads and personal laptops. I think as future educators we need to always be current and up to date with what our students know. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteThe website you cited is pretty cool! There is a lot of great ideas on there and links to all kinds of good stuff. It is important that we stay a step ahead of our students when it comes to technology and it's nice to see there is a website out there to help us do just that. Thanks for the website!
ReplyDeleteI think about this a lot as a future teacher; how can I keep up to date with all the technology that my students are exposed to? I agree with you, that as teachers we should use the technology ourselves, but I also think we can learn a lot from our students. If there's something I want to try- technology-wise - in the classroom, I might ask my students to help me learn.
ReplyDeleteAs a part of my ed tech class, I signed up for the edutopia site, and have found some pretty great information- very applicable to the classroom!
I really like the website you posted! It's very true that inorder for teacher to use technology to supplement their instruction they have to be fluent users of that technology. I beleive that as part of teacher becoming life long learners, learning to use new technologies should be included in that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the website! There is a lot of great information there! I really like how they discuss a variety of different technology options. The way technology is "blooming" in the classroom I think it is great to have options for teachers to better understand technology.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I'm so glad you are addressing this issue. I think it's a very real issue with today's teachers. We've talked about this in several of my classes. The site you posted gave some great information and ideas about how to overcome this obstacle in the classroom. It is our job, as educators, to know the content, be prepared, and create an effective learning environment. I think it's also our job to understand and utilize the technology available to us. When we use the resources available to us, we can learn a lot about technology and enhance our students' learning experiences.
ReplyDeleteAmanda-
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm so glad you included the link. This is a great resource for someone like me that shys away from certain technology when I am unfamiliar with it. I think that it is so important for teachers to keep up-to-date with the latest technology and to bring it into the classroom. Teachers need to provide students with experience with social networking, wikis, blogs, etc. since these have become parts of our everyday life and are required for many jobs today. As future teachers, it is our job to prepare students for the outside world and provide them the tools to succeed in an ever growing world.