Schools are constantly looking for an edge that will help their students to succeed. One way that schools accomplish this difficult task is by integrating new technology into the classroom. Often times, the decision on which technology to incorporate is driven by trends rather than research. Schools are always in the process of upgrading their technology, often looking at what everyone else is purchasing and then following in their footsteps. Currently, one piece of hardware that many school districts are investing money in is interactive whiteboards. These boards allow the teacher to easily integrate technology into their classroom. With all of the money being spent on interactive white boards, are they really an effective tool? What does the research, teachers, and students have to say about these boards? This paper will explore whether or not interactive white boards are effective in the classroom, from the option of both the teacher and the student.
Implementing technology into the classroom is an expensive endeavor, which schools must constantly be willing to spend money on. When a school decides that they want to have an interactive whiteboard, there are many other costs involved. First, they must purchase the board, a projector, and any needed software. They must also make sure that they have a computer available to connect the board to, as well as a blue tooth device or cables to connect the board to the computer. Some schools have also chosen to mount the projector which is an additional cost for the mount, as well as making sure that there is a power supply available in the ceiling. “Unfortunately, institutions without sufficient state appropriations or huge endowments suffer.” (Vartabedian, 2002) With a...
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...n of topics. This helps to alleviate “down time” and students have less time to become bored because they are not waiting on their peers. Students also talk about “the fact that it is easier to comprehend information that involves shapes and grids because pictures are accurate.” (Hall & Higgins, 2005, p. 106) They do not have to try to interpret teachers drawings which can help them focus on the material that is being presented. Many of the programs that are used in combination with an interactive whiteboard provide students with feedback, which is critical in their understanding. The feedback is instant and helps students to identify misconceptions, and further understanding. When looking at interactive whiteboards from a student’s perspective, you can see that the boards provide the learner with many advantages over previous ways of presenting information.
Over the years there have been numerous tips, tricks and gimmicks educators have used in an effort to reduce their teaching load. Is there anything that can be done to lessen the scholastic load without sacrificing quality instruction? Yes there is, it's the Internet.
Once teachers are secure with their knowledge of technology, children are susceptible to becoming addicted to technology and focusing less and less on what the teacher is trying to teach in the class if the devices are not well monitored. The National Center for Education Statistics ran a survey in 2009 to see how much technology is actually used within classrooms. The results were that “97 percent of teachers had one or more computers located in the classroom every day, while 54 percent could bring computers into the classroom” (“National Center for”). These numbers are increasing every year because of the higher demand for and usage of technology and the ever growing upgrades in education. The number of computer for instructional purposes have gone from 72 in 1995 to 189 in 2008 according to the National Center for Education Statistics chart. The number of computers in classrooms has increased drastically in such a short amount of time of just over 10
In the last decade, increasingly powerful technologies have begun to make their way into classrooms across the nation. Many classrooms are now equipped with personal computers that run educational software to help teach students facts and concepts in a more engaging way than a traditional lecture. Advances in telecommunications technologies have led to almost universal access to the Internet, allowing students and teachers to communicate with people from around the world and gain access to a wealth of educational materials. New ways of obtaining and presenting information have given students powerful new methods for understanding the world around them. However, while use of technology in the classroom has been shown to be highly beneficial for students, it is important to note that without a well-planned technology support system, this expensive educational technology often goes under- or mis-utilized..
Technology is a portion of everyday life. It affects how business is conducted, teaching, learning, and receiving information. Good or bad, everyone uses technology every day. There are many items people have on them on a daily basis, one would be hard pressed to be without. If you were to examine the effect of technology on teaching and learning and acquire an understanding of why technology should be a part of every classroom curriculum, what would the conclusion be? Technology is a great benefit to the classroom, it stimulates our digital generation and allows educators to be more creative with curriculum.
Yes, i know how to use my Google calendar, but most days I just prefer paper. Even though I would love to say I am a digital native, I know am not. I am a digital immigrant who still goes back to paper and traditional ways of teaching and learning at times because that is how I was brought up. I use a SMARTBoard on a daily basis, but I still feel a jolt of excitement when I can use a chalkboard. Yet, this immigrant background helps me understand the teachers who resist technology. I recognize that change is difficult. This chapter will discuss many of these
devices in almost every classroom. Technology enhances learning, boosts confidence, and eliminates geographical limitations. Technology enriches learning by being able to come in different forms and do different things. "For lessons traditionally done with a paper and pencil, we now were able to do them in color, with animation, and with more depth and complexity"(McCollum). Teachers are now able to help stu...
These benefits I believe include excitement, flexibility, motivation for more students, which will cover a wide age-range, learning styles, and many different topics. They also will help create a personalized learning environment. As an educator, I have learned how these modifications in technology can help to motivate, engage, and enhance the learning of my students. Thornburg (2009) “…some technologies have the potential to shape and reshape educational practice in the next few years” (p. 9). During this course, we have discovered and discussed various benefits as well as challenges associated with adopting new technology. These resources and interactions have been influential in helping me focus more on the benefits, and they have given me tools to address the challenges. This course has helped me understand that the use of interactive educational activities can promote higher order thinking skill, such as problem solving, critical thinking, and
This week's task is to identify a technology for classroom use that will improve students learning, make curriculum more meaningful and provide opportunities for my students to actively engage with technology in a meaningful way. My classroom has a Smart Board that was installed in the spring of 2011. It is wonderful for displaying information, taking notes, showing videos and photos that relate to the curriculum. However, students have a more limited interaction with it as a direct learning tool. I would have to admit that it is more a teacher centered tool than it is a student centered use of technology. After researching the Smart Board's available resources and tools, I found the technology that I would like to incorporate in my classroom. SMART Response™ interactive response system PE.
Modern day schools have had many advancements in the way kids learn, from taking tests and assignments to reading on their chromebooks and whiteboards. According to “ABC News” “Plus, many kids now use tablets or laptops to take notes, meaning there's really little reason to learn those letters by hand.” This quote shows how classrooms are a lot more modern and that laptops are used a lot and frequently during the day. Also “CNN” states “Forget chalkboards, each classroom has its own SMART board, a high tech, interactive whiteboard.” This quote explains how old school ways of learning have been replaced with modern ways and
Technology is becoming more and more dominant in our society.Everyday upgrades are being made and new innovations are being discovered. Technology is all around us whether we want it to be or not: it is the vehicles we drive, it can be found in our homes, and can even be found in the grocery store.Every place we look there is some type of technology.I believe technology has had a major impact on our school systems and is still impacting it today.There are those who do not agree, though, that technology has impacted our schools.Eric Gormly writes, “In fact, many theorists point out the overall impact of technology on education has been quite small, manifesting little discernible change in the classroom.” [1]Yes, there are some schools that are not as advanced as others, but many of them do have a significant amount of technology in them.I find it fascinating that so much technology has been incorporated into our classrooms, but I believe that, even with all of the positive aspects that are associated with technology, there are some negative and even dangerous aspects that should be taken into account.I will be sharing some of the equipment that has been used in the schools, how both the students and the teachers use the equipment, and also the positive and negative effects that technology has had on our schools.
For the teacher, computer technology can lead to more efficient time management in record keeping and developing lessons plans as well as the ease of conducting any kind of research and communication without having to leave the classroom.
In the past, technology was something that was only used in our homes and by the wealthy. However, this has become a thing of the past. Classrooms have become more interactive and lessons seem to be more engaging. Students have been given the opportunity to use Smart Boards, document cameras, projectors, and wireless slates. In order for our students to feel comfortable, when using the different technologies, they must have some amount of background knowledge. If a student is not given this background knowledge, they will have more difficulty utilizing the technology than someone who has the background knowledge. Teachers in classrooms today must also have some type of knowledge of the technology being used. A great way to build this knowledge is to attend training sessions that your district may be holding, and utilize the technology as much as possible.
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.
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...
...assroom. Sometimes there are people that it would not help learn because they need that face-to-face learning. It is just the way that they learn that it could benefit them or it could not . It should be up to the students on it they want to use the old fashion pen and paper or this new technology.