Multimedia in the Classroom
What is Multimedia?
Multimedia in the classroom can be described as media and text used in a variety of combinations to communicate an idea or information
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Forms of Multimedia:
Text – Printed notes, stories and lessons.
Graphics – Pictures and images.
Video – Movies, shows, UCC and advertisements.
Sound – MP3s, sound clips, CDs.
PowerPoint – Presentations and games.
Internet – Websites, e-mail and social networking.
Interactive Applications – whiteboards and planning tools.
Why Should Teachers Use Multimedia in the ESL Class?
Children today are very comfortable in a digital world. They are constantly bombarded by video, graphics and sound. Communication often takes place via the internet and smart phones using social networks and applications. Students also spend a large amount of time shopping and even studying on the internet.
The traditional classroom environment, however, is in sharp contrast to the environment that modern students operate in. In the class, text and repetition often take precedence, and the format is mostly a one-size-fits-all one. This presents a disconnect between what is expected of students, and what students are used to.
The use of multimedia in the classroom gives teachers and students opportunities for learning in an environment in which students are more likely to feel comfortable and at ease in.
Benefits for the Students:
Engaging:
Multimedia often requires participation on some level. Students shift from being observers and bystanders to being participators. A well selected piece of media has the potential to grab a student’s attention and encourage them to become engaged in the activity or discussion.
Incorporate a variety of skills into t...
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...cceptable content differ from country to country. If in doubt, ask your co-teacher for their opinion.
Inappropriate content also includes material that is too advanced or too easy for a given class. If the content is at a level that does not match that of the students, you run the risk of students loosing interest or giving up.
The content becomes the focus of the lesson with very little student interaction.
Media should enhance the class learning environment. Remember that your goal is to use media to increase student participation and interaction.
Conclusion:
Multimedia is a great tool for supplementing and enhancing your English classes. As a native English teacher/ assistant, your goal is to get students talking and using the English language. Using a variety of media formats in your class can help you achieve this in a way that is fun for the students.
It is helpful to connect the learning to a student’s prior experience. Teachers also need to consider the role of technology in their classroom.
There are three major objectives of media research: (1) obtain knowledge about the educational or instructional effectiveness of a chosen medium; (2) increase understanding of how media and technology function and what psychological effects they have on a learner; (3) improve the practice of education through the provision and evaluation of better materials, media, procedures and technologies (Salomon, Clark 1-2).
The world’s technology advancements are quickly developing, thus, unquestionably, contributing to the extraordinary benefits obtained by students, parents, and educators. Students are provided an enhanced understanding of diverse subjects due to presentations, use of the Internet, and various programs, assisting them with projects, homework, tests, or merely general interest. Classroom computer use is certainly beneficial to parents as well. If a student does not have computer access at home to complete a project or essay, it could easily be completed on the classroom’s computer. This avoids any conflicts that may arise from families that do not have access to a personal computer. Teachers are able to easily compose a multimedia presentation to, not only help teach the class, but also to assist the pupils while taking notes and ensuring their understanding of the topic.
In bilingual classrooms across America, teachers use whiteboards, LCD projectors and the internet to engage learners. Educational videos, such as those on the Discovery Education website, are a great way to reinforce or supplement curriculum when concepts seem to fall short. It is easier for English language learners to understand literary concepts, for instance character, plot and setting, by viewing a Charlie Chaplin video than by struggling through a more complex textbook where up to 75 percent of the vocabulary could be new to the student. Additionally, watching a video requires the teacher to pause several times for discussion and note taking.
Finally, another thing on the computer that the teacher could use to enhance teaching her class, would be the use of Microsoft PowerPoint. Here if an English teacher was trying to teach her students the different types of essays, a slide-show explaining what an Expository Essay is on one slide, as well as a Cause/Effect, Definition, Comparison/Contrast, Argumentative, Literary Analysis, and a Character Analysis Essay are on different slides, would make understanding the differences between the essays much more clear to the students, than for example, verbally explaining the different types of essays. Furthermore, using programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint are attractive to the eye; consequently, the student will pay more attention to what they are learning, and essentially learn at a higher level.
The use of the Internet has exploded in the past few decades, and the age of the user is swiftly declining as well (Greenfield, Patricia, and Zheng Yan). “The spread of Internet access has been described as nine times faster than that of radio, four times faster than the personal computer, and three times faster than television” (Shields, Margie, and Behrman 5). The Internet has woven itself into people’s daily lives and has really changed culture in numerous ways. It has helped make education more accessible, especially to those in developing countries. Specifically, it has brought life saving health practices and information to those who otherwise would have gone without it. Also, children who need extra help learning, like kids with special
Resources are designed to support us as teachers to plan, deliver and assess our teaching and lesson delivery. All the materials and books, a variation and diversification of approaches, resources used for different learning styles, in order to meet the needs of all my students were contributing to the professional development and continuing education. Preparing visual prompts to stimulate, the use of colour in my slides, always helped to stimulate the interest and emphasise the key points in my teaching. However, computer-based technology, provided opportunities to develop ICT skills. Thus, through class sessions and little practice students were developing skills to use it, and create professionally looking and visually stimulating slides. As teachers, we must be willing to encourage our students to become active participants in their learning, creating opportunities to actively engage all
Imagine someone born in the early 1900’s entering a modern-day classroom. They would likely be confused as to what televisions, computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices are. It is also likely that they would be overwhelmed by the instant access to information that the internet provides. Digital media has become a large part of people’s everyday lives especially with the rise of digital media in classrooms. Digital media is growing so rapidly that people who are not adapting to this shift in culture are falling behind and becoming victims of the “digital divide”, this is leaving people misinformed. Digital media has a large effect on the way that people communicate, this is especially evident in the way that students interact with
The introduction of technology into education has revolutionized the teaching quality and learning outcome in the last ten years. The integration of technology into lectures by teachers in classroom has become so natural that both teachers and learners consider computers and their related applications for instruction are “a routine component of the classroom and educational processes in general” (Nuldén, 1999 cited in Buzzard et al., 2011, pp.131-139).
Human’s life has changed. Most of the people have come to cities instead of towns. Kids spend most of their time inside houses either watching TV or playing computer and maybe do their homework. Internet is one of the most recent changes in the last two decays. Not surprisingly, this new phenomenon is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the last century, but unfortunately this occurrence has made some negative impact on our society and children.
Active involvement in class discussions and incorporating technology are techniques that could be used when trying to engage student’s interests. Interactive based learning provides an opportunity to become actively involved in the discussion instead of just listening to an instructor throw huge amounts of information their way. Using technology is a way for students to become active in their learning. Tools such as interactive white boards enable children to engage in classroom games, view websites, and review problems step by step. As technology is advancing students rely on teachers integrating technology into their lessons more frequently. In traditional lectures the teacher gives a large quantity of material, but if the student is not paying attention, does learning occur? By incorporating learner response devices where students can electronic...
students prefer technology because they believe that it makes learning more interesting and fun. They especially like laptops and tablets. Subjects that students deem challenging or boring can become more interesting with virtual lessons, through a video, or when using a tablet. Technology occupies an important place within students’ lives. When they are not in school, just about everything that they do is connected in some way to technology. By integrating technology into the classroom, teachers are changing the way they used to teach (lectures six hours a day) and providing students with the tools that will take them into the 21st century. One of the characteristics of the modern classroom is collaboration and technology helps to empower it. With classroom technology students can collaborate with other students and their teachers in and outside of the classroom quickly and easily.
Technology properly used in the classroom has many advantages to a student’s learning. Technology can help students become more involved in their own learning process, which is not seen in the traditional classroom. It allows them to master basic skills at their own rate rather than being left behind. Teachers and students alike can connect to real life situations by using technology in the classroom; this can also help to prepare students for real world situations. Technology can be used to motivate students as well as to offer more challenging opportunities. It can also be used as a visualization tool to keep students interested in the subject that is being taught. When technology is used effectively, students have the opportunity to develop skills that they may not get without the use of technology (Cleaver, 2011). Assessing and monitoring students is easier on the teacher because of the ability to use technology in the classroom. When technology is used correctly it offers limitless resources to a classroom atmosphere.
Computers have always been useful, but not until recently have computers become useful for children who are twelve and under. Of course these children enjoy playing games and talking to there friends on the computer but due to new innovations coming out everyday children can now do a lot more then just play and socialize. Computers have brought school to the home. When children come home from school it used to mean school was over but today if you have access to the internet school is know longer over but just beginning on the internet. The internet has special educational sites that children can visit and learn from. Besides that children actually can have contact with there personal teacher from school. A new invention called the “Mobile Author can be used by human instructors either from a computer or a mobile phone to create their own Intelligent Tutoring Systems and to distribute them to their students. Students can also use any computer or mobile phone to have access to theory and tests.” (Source 2, Journal) Homework, notes, review assignments can now be given over the internet by the child’s teacher from there school. “Instructors can monitor their students; progress and communicate with their students during the course.” (Source 2, Journal) Children can learn new information on the internet and they are able to review and get extra help on things they don’t understand. If a child realizes that they do not understand something when they get home, they know longer have to wait to go in to school for extra help, but they now can communicate with there teacher online or they can go to an internet tutoring system which will give them just as much help as being in a regular classroom.
Children growing up in this generation are experiencing a greater impact from computers than in the past. In the past, children and adult, could make a life without a computer, as it wasn’t a necessity or found to be all that useful from time to time. A higher level of dependency on these computers has been established, and society only has more to come in the future. The technology that comes with these complex machines is becoming more developed and is making everyday tasks simpler for most. Computers have changed our nation in many ways, from the way we operate to the accessibility of worldwide resources such as the Internet we use frequently today. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the fluctuation of the influence of computers on a child’s education in their early years, as it has been in the past, how it is in the present, and how it might be in the future.