In elementary school, my exposure to advanced technology like computers was very rare. It was a special privlege to be able to go to the computer lab. I don't recall using the computers in a very eduactional manner but more as free time to play games like Oregan Trail. I think some of the reason why is because it was hard for the teacher to control what the whole class was doing on their individual computers. Also, we did not save or print our what we did very often so there was not way for our teacher to review any final product.
Things have changed a lot, even since then, and I know there are much more useful and efficient ways to incorporate computer use within my lessons. I plan to teach at the elementary level and would like to plan regular trips to the computer lab with my class. I would also like to use the computers in a way that will develope and evaluate the concepts I am tecahing in a way that I can track. Inside the classroom, I had only experience the use of overhead projectors and an occasional vhs. In my future classroom, ideally I would love to be able to use document cameras and the internet with a lcd.
Overall my feelings toward technology are hopeful but currently sceptacle of the practicalilty. I am not sure how much of this ideal technology I will actually have access to in the elementary school. I also frequently have issues with reliability, which is partly because of my operational skills, and partly because technology is not 100% stable. I hope to increase my confidence and understanding of technology, especially when I am using it as a teaching aid.
3 comments:
I remember Oregon Trail, wow that was a while ago. Yea I just don't understand. Technology at school was just so limited. You're right we never printed anything.
I did not grow up with technology, well...chalkboard, pencil paper; the low-tech stuff. I remember a great day of easy learning was with a movie or something like that. So for children who were not on task technology could be just another way to stay off task. And for those of us who were in the middle of the road it was a diversion from reading and internalizing what we read.
You all make the important point that just like movies (or even individual or group work, when left unattended), technology can be used for what Laura called "easy learning" - and what we might call "easy teaching." I think that when a technology is new - like Oregon Trail in Sam's example - there's an impulse that just by virtue of having the new, exciting technology, students will learn.
This is actually a great segue to next week's session, where we'll be talking about instructional software and models for integration; it's all about how the teacher uses it. For example, Oregon Trail has a lot to offer as an historical simulation tool. Can you think of a better way of incorporating Oregon Trail - taking advantage of the ability to experience or simulate living in the past - if you were a teacher in Sam's class?
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