Technology is not only in our social lives, it is also present in our school system. The schools are using technology in more ways than one. Some of these ways are: SMART boards, Blackboards, virtual classrooms, online books, Skype/Oovoo, clickers, etc. Many of the previously mentioned tools are not only helpful for students, but they are also beneficial to the teachers. These tools would personally help me as an English teacher in the future.
Many schools have SMART boards in the classrooms. These boards are like an extension of the computer. They alow the teacher to stand in front of the class and have access to everything the computer has and not have to be stuck sitting behind a computer desk with minimal interaction with the students. The SMART boards are a great tool to have in a classroom because it is big enough for everyone in the class to see so no one has limited view no matter where they sit. This would be a helpful tool for me as an English teacher because I can put the reading up on the SMART board. I can also display the daily assignments on the board without having to take time out to write our the “do now”, which results in wasting the limited class time.
Blackboard is also another helpful tool in the school system, because it keep the teachers and students connected in more ways than one after class hours. Blackboard allows teachers to create discussion panels. In these discussion panels the students have the ability to access what the teacher posts as well as what their fellow classmates post. There is also the option of commenting on previously posted items. Teachers can post quizzes on Blackboard. There are many different features that can be added to the quizzes to minimize the amount of cheating that takes place. Teachers can also put a time limit on the quiz. This allows the student to take the quiz within an alloted time on a specific date. Blackboard has the option to post grades. This can be a virtual gradebook for both students and teachers. Blackboard is a very helpful tool for teachers, but will especially be helpful for me in the future because as an English teacher there will be many reading and writing assignments. Those writing assignments can be submitted online where I can check for plagiarism as well as correct that papers and respond with feedback on the papers. Assigning quizzes online allows for maximum use of class time. The virtual gradebook allows students to track their own grades and not have to constantly run teachers down to know their grades and progress in the class.
The virtual classroom has the ability to change the way we look at school in the future. Teachers will no long have to wake up early and go to work and teach in front of a class and repeat the same routine for an entire school year. Instead, teacher will soon be able to teach from home (for those who do not already do that). There are many schools that offer online courses as well as online degrees. Many schools are offering online Ph.D’s. The work load is the same, the only difference is that the students do not have to be in a physical classroom, and they can also work on their own time and still do other things which allows them to still have a social life. The downside about the virtual classroom is that not everyone learns the same way, and so having the classes only online is sort-of forcing everyone to adapt to a specific learning style which might not fit them.
Online books are very beneficial to both students and teachers in many ways. The students benefit because they can access both text books and reading books from a handheld device, which eliminates the need to walk around with heavy books which can cause future physical damage. Some of the common handheld devices that students can use to access the online books are: Kindle, nook, Ipad, Iphones, Laptops, etc. These books do not always have to be purchased. Some books can either be rented or bought for free. The online books will be a very useful tool for my future students because they will not have to walk around with the physical book but will still be able to read along in class and at home The online books will also allow them to have access to their textbooks with the simple press of a button.
Skype/Oovoo are applications that do video calls to anyone at anyplace as long as they have an internet connection and an account for either application. The video call is a good tool for students to learn when not physically in the classroom. This allows the students learning experience to continue anywhere and anytime. This is a helpful tool for students who have difficulty understanding something in class, they can video conference with either their fellow classmates for help or they can do a video call with the teacher in question. Sometimes the students may have an understanding of the work but may have missed the assignments that are due, so they can video call a friend to get the work. This is a tool I would encourage my older students to use. This keeps every student in the loop. This is also a form of social interaction. Although it is not a form of physical interaction, it is a form of interaction which has become very popular and any use on a regular basis.
The clicker is something I was recently introduced to. I first saw it in a school I went to so my field observations in. The clicker is a mini device with a small screen and both a letter pad and a number pad. Teachers use the clickers to have students take multiple choice tests or quizzes. These clickers are very beneficial to teachers because they provide instantaneous answers. They also eliminate the need to physically grade papers. The technology behind the clicker does all of the work. The teacher can evaluate which students answered which questions correctly as well as who got the highest score and who got the lowest score. This would be beneficial to me as a teacher because I can assign multiple choice questions and the clicker would show the class average and other helpful tools that I can use to help correct the reoccurring problems that the students may be having. This is also not always beneficial in my field of work because I can not always only assign multiple choice questions. I have to give the students short answer or essay questions. The clicker can not evaluate those answers. I would have to physically grade those papers, tests, or quizzes.
Technology changes the way our school system works because in more ways than one it limits and minimizes the amount of interaction the students and teachers have, but on the other hand technology helps the teachers be more effective and execute their jobs better. The technology that people use in their social life setting is slowly making its way into the classroom. A perfect example of that would be Skype/Oovoo. Those were applications that people used to socialize and now they are being used to extend learning outside of the classroom. Any piece of technology has its pros and cons but it’s up to us as teachers to find a happy medium where we are all benefiting from these devices. In other words, virtual seems to be the new reality.
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