TIE 300- Technology in the Classroom

In today’s society, most students are going to have an extensive background concerning new age technology. It only makes sense then, that teachers incorporate various technological resources into their lesson plans in order to actively engage students in the curriculum. As an undergraduate elementary education student, I am taking an introduction to technology in the classroom course where I am just beginning to learn how to infiltrate technology into the classroom. Up until this point, I have learned Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and how to create an internet blog. With this background knowledge regarding the previously mentioned programs, I can begin to describe how these technologies will assist me in meeting the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Below is a link to these standards created by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm

The standards outlined in the link above are present so that teachers can read and reflect on what they mean to them. From there, teachers can think about how they can meet those standards in class using what they know about various technologies. They then can conclude with an explanation of the reason why their developed activity fulfilled the standard. This is the thought process I will go through for my course assignment.

Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

In my opinion, the goal of this standard is to have teachers recognize that technology is a resource that can get students more interested and involved during the learning process as well as foster individual creativeness and group collaboration. A great technological resource that teachers could employ in order to fulfill this standard is to start a class blog. On this class blog, a teacher can post a video or an article that reviews what concepts students learned during the day or a video regarding a current issue in the world. Once posted, each student would have the opportunity to comment on the video/article, ask a question if they need clarification, or maybe suggest another online resource that covers the same material. The blog will become a location where individual knowledge can be shared while group collaboration can also take place. In time, a teacher could ask a new student every week to find a news story that interests them and post it to the class blog in any visual manner they desire. Blogs allow for gadgets to be uploaded with ease. Some great gadgets are video clips, links, pictures, and real time news feed. Blogs allow for individual creativity as well as group discussion. The people involved in the discussion are not just limited to the students in the classroom. Blogs have a feature that permits anyone to respond to what is posted. Students then have the opportunity to read the views other students have in different parts of the country or world regarding the current issue. This international discussion has the potential to expand student thoughts about current issues. If the teacher creates a blog about current issues in the world they are allowing for individual creativity, individual expression, and group collaboration.

Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

To me this standard means that teachers should use technology in different ways in order to differentiate instruction during a lesson to accommodate the various types of learners. Teachers should use technology to support activities that involve hands-on learning activities. Teachers should also recognize that technology can help themselves as well as their students visually organize and document what they are learning and how they are progressing. Microsoft Excel is a technological resource that teachers can use in many classroom activities. Teachers can have students create an excel spread sheet displaying their multiplication math fact progress; after each math assessment the teacher can have the kids upload their score to their spreadsheet so they can see how they progressed that week in math. They can then turn their chart into a line graph so they can graphically see their progress. The graph then can become a motivational tool for the students. They can look at the graph and then set a realistic goal for what they want to accomplish on their test the following week. By incorporating excel into math, the teacher is allowing the students to visually see how they are progressing each week.

Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

This standard addresses how teachers should be able to effectively communicate with people involved in the school community in creative ways that utilize technology. Important members of the school community that the teacher should maintain regular communication with are the students, parents, colleagues, and other local community members. Microsoft Word is a great technological resource all teachers can use in order to maintain communication. The teacher could create a school newsletter every week that the students could take home to share with their parents. The school newsletter would communicate to the parents the activities their kids did throughout the week as well as goals for the following week. The teacher could also use the newsletter to identify lots of resources that the community around the school offers such as libraries, tutoring agencies, and stores that carry good school supplies. Microsoft Word allows a teacher maintain a constant connection with students and parents all throughout the year rather than just meeting and talking with the parents once or twice a year during parent-teacher conferences. A teacher can also create class blogs to maintain constant communication between teacher and student, and teacher and parent. A teacher can form a student resource blog where students can go to access teacher recommended sites for further review. The student resource blog would also encourage expanded learning at home. A teacher can also construct a parent resource blog where the curriculum is outlined in a detailed manner as well as post website links where the parents can visit to refresh their memory on a concept so they can help their children with their homework if needed. The parent resource blog also permits discussion between all the parents and the teacher which strengthens the classroom community. Microsoft Word newsletter and blogs both will help the teacher meet this standard because both establish constant lines of communication between the school community members.

Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

This standard addresses how teachers must model the importance of using technology in a lawful way as well as being ethically alert while using technology in the classroom. Microsoft PowerPoint is a great way for teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. PowerPoint is an easy tool that most school age children should be able to use. One activity that would get students involved with technology as well as bring forth compassion and understanding of other cultures would be to create a class culture PowerPoint presentation. The teacher could instruct each student to design one or two PowerPoint slides illustrating what they want their teacher and classmates to know about their culture. Once everyone has made their slides, the teacher cold demonstrate her knowledge of PowerPoint by compiling them into a class culture PowerPoint. In doing this assignment, the teacher must set aside class time to work on the slides so as to accommodate those students who do not have the luxury of a computer in their home. By doing this, the teacher is demonstrating that she is aware of the local issues facing her students and therefore is acting ethically when she gives all students equal time in the computer lab. By doing this PowerPoint activity, the teacher is demonstrating her cultural knowledge of her students as well as helping her students develop an understanding of their peer’s cultures in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

Standard 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

This standard calls for the teacher to always be engaged in continued learning as a professional by communicating their thoughts surrounding technology in the classroom as well as continually build on their knowledge through participation in conferences and discussions with other working professionals. Teachers can keep up on the latest trends involving technology in the classroom by following and commenting on relevant educational blogs. By blogging, the teacher demonstrates his/her involvement in technology trends. At the same time, he/she is also engaging in constant evaluation of other professional’s thoughts, experiences, and opinions regarding technology in the classroom. Through this evaluation, the teacher becomes aware of their own knowledge base regarding modern technologies.