Using Video

Video is definitely a powerful tool in the classroom. I think back to the classes I have already taken at Albright for my certification and think about how much better my lessons and units could have been if I had implemented more video and technology. I think of the unit that I just finished in social studies on the Holocaust. My Holocaust unit was geared toward 5^th grade. I know I would have needed to research videos, etc. to be sure the material was appropriate for that age but it would have been worth the research time. I do think my unit would have been greatly enhanced by accessing video clips on (before) World War II, (during) the Holocaust and (after) the individual survivor stories. In my elementary science class, I taught a science lab on erosion and a video clip would have been helpful to introduce or reinforce the concept of erosion. In my elementary mathematics class, I taught a lesson on estimation. Students could have done a class project videoing themselves or each other demonstrating real life situations where you need to use estimation. For example, students could have gone to a grocery store or a party store where they could plan for a birthday party. I needed to incorporate song into some of my lessons and when I had to do this I used U-tube videos to demonstrate how the song was sung. P. S.  U-tube videos helped take the sting out of the fact that I had to sing by myself in front of my peers. It also gave me some instrumental help.

In my own classroom, I would create podcasts with the students and use them in social studies and language arts classes. In social studies, students could research and create podcasts on pioneers or explorers that they were learning about. In language arts, they could create their own books and put them in a podcast or PowerPoint. I would use video to take students on virtual fieldtrips every chance I could in order to enrich the material in the textbooks. Students could also make their own fieldtrips using video. Allowing students to see different locations in the world is very meaningful and powerful. It seems as though when schools want to cut budgets, fieldtrips are one area they seem to cut fairly easily so virtual fieldtrips are an excellent tool to use as a supplement to budgetary problems. Teacher or student created PowerPoints can enhance any class or any lesson too especially if they are interactive. I would make review games

One of the cool things about technology is that any age or class (special education included) can use it and have fun with it. 

Chapter 8/class 5 blog

I think it will take continuous hard work on the part of all teachers and educators to close the gaps in engagement and learning. One reason is that there are always new pieces of information/technology being presented to the public but it takes awhile for it to be integrated into schools at whatever level (k-12 and collegiate level). There is so much information and technology currently available to the public and it seems to be SLOWLY making its way into the school system. Is it no wonder the students lose interest and are not engaged in their learning? Is it taking too long to get into the schools? I think one way I can be successful with the Net generation is to actually use the technology once it is in the classroom. I really like the learning systems (WeBWorK) that allow students do their homework/classwork and get immediate feedback in order to build conceptual understanding. The classroom that I currently work in does not have a Smartboard but we will have one the second half of the year when our new building is finished. I think once the technology is in classroom it is up to teachers to continually educate themselves and be willing to bring it into the classroom.  If I stay current, then and only then will I make a better connection with students thus motivating them to learn. As noted earlier, we need to make the connections between what is relevant to student experiences and how they can apply it long term (later in life). This will constantly need to be evaluated “What is relevant to students?” It will be interesting how it all fits into the job market of years to come. I am not from the Net generation and quite frankly there are days I am bored in the classroom with traditional methods of teaching. I look forward to seeing the technology come into the classroom. I do believe we need to incorporate some traditional learning methods with technology and keep students accountable by having them reflect through interactive journal writing. The teaching methods that have been in place have proven to be successful. We just need to use technology to make the learning experience even richer thus keeping students engaged. I was really appalled to see that we are losing so many high school students. That should not be. I do believe that we must never forget the human element that is necessary in the interaction between people and tools/concepts/contexts. Majority of students still need the human connection coupled with technology.