Tkatterhenry's Blog

Blog #4

tkatterhenry — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:28:17 +0000

Bryan Werhli provides interesting information about the emerging technologies and how different schools and teachers use them. I agree with him in that technology should be a bridge for teachers and students to communicate better and it is going to help students learn more information in new and interesting ways that are going to help connect to a broader range of students. Technology is here to stay, and if teachers refuse to accept this and use it in the classroom, they are essentially going to loose the interest of their students. I feel that it is true that students are learning and possibly bringing newer technology into the classroom faster than teachers are learning about them, but the student shouldn’t be punished for this; the teachers should find ways to integrate the technologies into their classrooms because the “NetGen” is interested in it. Teachers can reach a wider variety of learning styles and students with using the same types of technology the students enjoy to use. The teacher who used a twitter page along side with his power point found that his students had a better understanding of the material because they could talk amongst each other and if they didn’t understand what happened in the slide or didn’t understand a term they have the internet right at their fingertips to research what they didn’t understand, while the teacher can continue with the lesson. Technology in the classroom would be efficient for accelerated learners simply because the teacher could cover more material; on the other side of things, a struggling student could easily find the answer to their questions.

If teachers stay current with emerging technologies instead of a decrease in teacher student communication and interaction, these things could be enhanced with more ways to communicate now than ever before, there should be no problem in tearing down the fence and building a bridge to better reach students.

Electronic Whiteboards

tkatterhenry — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:53:59 +0000

The possibilities of an electronic whiteboard truly amazed me, it is a valuable resource for teachers and students alike. At my high school we had an electronic whiteboard but the teachers didn’t take advantage of its many features. Having an electronic whiteboard in the class is a good way to get your students involved in the classroom, this way students feel more interactive in class. This will keep students attention during class giving them a better understanding of the material. I can find many uses for a whiteboard in the classroom, there are tons of games you can download for students to keep them interested in the material they learn. You can also pull up the internet to find information about your subject, you can highlight important information instantly with the touch of a button and even zoom in on certain information

No two students are alike

tkatterhenry — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:41:17 +0000

I agree with what Brenda Dyck is saying about how schools dont put as much attention on the students who have a more creative way of thinking. Teachers always expect students to be able to crunch numbers, and show interest in subjects that to them are boring. Also getting to know your students before you try to teach them, so to set up a fun activity/survey seems like the right way to get to know your students as well as learn their writing styles. Her plan also seems flexible, to where, other teachers could do this similar but set it up differently to go well with their class. I had a educational psychology teacher who actually recommended a similar activity to this one.