Chapters 4 and 6 - Practical Classroom Strategies

I was happy to see that these chapters started to bring to light some new ways to use technology in the classroom. I especially loved some of the ideas in chapter 6. Google Alerts, for example, will enable me as a science teacher to stay up to date with current scientific news and discoveries. Like our textbook said, most textbooks are out of date by the time they come out in print, and science books are often very far behind the curve. Programs like Google Alert ensure that my own knowledge is more up to date than these textbooks; as a result, I can provide my students with the most current information possible. Hopefully students will be able to see the relevance of modern scientific discoveries in their own lives, which will motivate them to learn more on their own. I think it would also be a great idea to ask students to make a Google Alerts account on their own so that they could get news about topics they are interested in. Is it possible to create a viable class assignment surrounding the use of such a tool?

Standards connectors and tag clouds, also mentioned in chapter 6, appear to be excellent resources to help teachers stay organized. I’ve never thought of a good way to compile resources and usually just resort to listing links in a Word Document when I find a new source. Standards connectors and tag clouds actually provide teachers with the option to classify and search for their own resources, and are extremely valuable, time-saving tools I will be sure to take advantage of. Should we provide our students with access to these resources and/or give them the ability to contribute to them?

Despite some of the great ideas mentioned in these chapters, I found that a few strategies were mentioned that would not be viable in all classrooms. For example, I really like the idea of using learning centers in a high school classroom. However, I fear that with only one teacher in the room, students would easily go off task, especially when they get to the computer station. In response, I wish this book spoke more about the strategies a teacher can use to set the tone for responsible computer usage.

Another concern I have about learning centers regards technical difficulties experienced in class. What does the teacher do when he or she is called over to troubleshoot a problem or error in the operation of the computers? If he or she leaves to fix the problem, the group who should be receiving direct instruction is left alone, but if he or she does not, the group who should be at the computers will be left without a task. As such, I see this classroom technique working well only if two or more adults are in the classroom, or if the students are highly responsible and in control of their own learning.

I am also somewhat hesitant about the use of tools like virtual field trips. Although beneficial if students absolutely cannot go on a traditional field trip, I don’t see how a virtual experience could replace one in person. Field trips are difficult to pull off because they can be very costly and time consuming and they require teachers to be liable for their students outside of the classroom, but aren’t real-world learning experiences outside of the classroom invaluable and often irreplaceable? Is it worth missing out on such an experience so that students could spend more time in class preparing for high stakes exams?

I think it will take a few years of acclimating to the teaching profession before I will be able to use technology most effectively. I see myself using it, as chapter 4 says, at the adaptation and appropriation stages for a while, especially to communicate information with students and parents, organize data, and present information. I hope that as years pass I could make my way towards the invention stage, where my students’ learning experiences are truly enriched by technology – but I think it will take a while before I get there.