This cartoon reminded me that there are still some teachers who haven't realized that students are ready for more technology to be used in the classroom. Times have changed and we have more available at our fingertips than ever before. That is why I chose to read, “6 Ways to Be a Better Online Teacher” by Paul Beaudoin.
Even though I am not currently teaching any online classes, I
think that all classroom teachers should be able to use technology in the same
ways that online teachers do. One of the ways to be a better online teacher is
to use the available technology. This is a perfect example for the regular ed
teacher! Current and upcoming students are well adapted to using technology for
personal and social reasons, why should the classroom be excluded from the fun?
Teachers can assign students to create a digital story by using WeVideo or
Windows Movie Maker. These are free applications that would engage the learner in
a creative way!
Another way Beaudoin recommends becoming a better online teacher
is to create group projects by using tools from the web as an assessment
instead of a paper and pencil test. If students can role-play and recreate the
main idea of a story or write tweets of the character’s thoughts, then those
ways should count as authentic learning.
I felt this article connected to my school’s faculty and
myself because we can better ourselves as a classroom teacher if we are using
the latest Web tools that are at our disposal. Learning enhancements don’t
necessarily have to cost money and there are several free ways to bring
learning online!
Wow! This sounds like a great article! I will have to read it. I love the idea of integrating technology into my classroom. I try to implement it in a few small ways, but your ideas sound amazing! The kids would LOVE to use Windows Movie Maker or iMovie for a report instead of writing it the old boring way. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteLara, you made a lot of really good points in this post! Using technology in the classroom can seem overwhelming sometimes, but with practice it can actually make some tasks easier. I really like the idea of having students tweet the characters' thoughts. I think this would be motivating because it relates to students' interests lives outside of school.
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