Monday, June 21, 2010

connections & feedback

What I liked about the article was not only does the teacher uses technology in a variety of ways but she makes it relevant to the students lives. Taking photos of their playground and having them create and update a spreadsheet of the temperature in their city makes the connection between technology and mathematics interesting, and therefore stronger, for the students.
From the article, I discovered technology in the classroom does not need to be fancy nor time consuming, just applicable and appropriate. Using a digital camera or Excel is something that I, who considers myself a novice, is comfortable and can effectively manage even with thirty youngsters are depending on me! With the use of suitable computer software, reinforcement of basic math skills is easily done and with instant feedback, the students can determine immediately, if they are having trouble, where the error is occurring. This is a positive aspect of technology in the classroom as without the instant feedback, mistakes will continue to be made and bad habits may form. These days, students expect immediate feedback and if teachers can provide this, I believe it will benefit the student. Technology in the classroom is essential as the world the students live in has become dependant on it. We should provide numerous opportunities and a variety of technology tools to our students.

2 comments:

Betsy Brokaw said...

When I think of technology in the classrooms, I never think of a digital camera. I really like this idea because it gets the students outside moving around, not stuck in a classroom. Smartboards are also a very interesting piece of technology that is now being incorporated into the classrooms. The students and teacher can do so much on this board and also keep the students entertained.
I agree that Excel should be taught at a young age because it is such a useful tool and not many people, including myself know how to take full advantage of it.

Monique Ray said...

I love using digital cameras in the classroom. I have used this to take pictures of my students, of the classroom for bulletin boards, programs, portfolios, etc.. but never thought of using it for Math! I like how you bring upt he point too that you don't have to be a computer genius, there are lots of things that every day people can do that they are comfortable. I like the smartboards and want to learn more about these as well!