What is (and should be) the role of technology in the classroom?

This was the basis of my Master's research. It is a fact that we (yes, us) have created this new technology-dependent 'beast' if you may. Trying to teach them in a way that was developed during the advent of the industrial era (most students don't even know when that occurred) is boring, at best. I recently read an article (I hope this doesn't violate any rules since this is my first post) that says classics are outdated http://www.salon.com/2012/05/31/are_literary_classics_obsolete/?utm_sour.... Combine these two thoughts and obviously we are experiencing a disconnect within our own generation which is growing as our children do. We must grow together, not apart. We need to utilize those things which most appeal to our students in an effort to enable them to become educated, viable members of our society.

I signed on to this conversation last year and in the subsequent time I have taken a few technology related courses. I now have to update and modify my earlier response after having been exposed to some really wonderful and useful web 2.) tools. Programs such as livebinders.com, timeline, and toondoo, and many many more are really wonderful programs that can be utilized in conjunction with a lesson plan. Even if your school does not have a lot of easy access to technology many of our students do and they can check out these sites. Our school started utilizing Edmodo as a means of communication between teachers and students and it is a great chance to keep up to date lesson plans and assignments for students who are absent. While I will never replace the feel and smell of an old book in my hand technology can be incorporated from subtle to full core with relative ease and no expense if you spend some time searching out the possibilities. I have now incorporated some of the web 2.0 tools as optional assignment methods for many of my lessons and some of my students have excelled when those opportunities have been opened up.

I think that technology should be used only if it is the best way to teach the material or the lesson is enhanced by using technology.

So many times, technology feels "tacked on" to the lesson in order to hit a technology standard and the original intent of the lesson is lost.

In this day and age, technology is already everywhere.  It stands to reason that since the students are already very used to using it, that it would be beneficial to add it into the teaching model.  Add to that the technology standards that most states are adopting and it become imperative that the teacher adapt and start including the use of technology in their classroom. 

I am lucky, I have the smartboard and projector in the room that I am currently assigned.  I hope that I am that lucky next year.  It really does make interactive lessons easier to present.

I remember when I finished graduate school and told my mentor that I was taking a job in a high school. He said, "Don't make the same mistake I made when I started teaching. Don't ask them to tell you the name of their favorite novel. They probably won't have an answer. Ask them, instead, what's the name of their favorite song, TV show, or movie and they'll answer quickly." That was 17 years ago and he was right then and he's even more right now.

This is a visual generation -- TV and movies aside, these kids grew up with computers, laptops, iphones, ipods and more. If we want to be responsible teachers, we have to change with the times.

I believe very strongly that technology used correctly is not only an asset to the student but a necessary vehicle for reaching them. I have often said that anything I put on a Smartboard will be received more easily than simply giving a lesson or providing a handout. But the key is responsible teaching; it always is.

And it always has to be about what's best for the student. So, yes, I believe the role of technology in the classroom is essential and it should be used to augment lessons, not replace them.

hello! it's me, again...

today, i want to share with you all something a teacher trainer said once during a workshop about ICT:

if an MD from 1900 enters today into a hospital, it may get dificult for him/her to work there as many things changed and there is plenty of technological devices which would result unknown...

however, if a teacher from the same epoc enters today into  a classroom, s/he might feel confortable, as many things remain the same...

I know that this is an extreme analogy of both work places, but it also casts a light about our current situation as educators. I think that the quote clearly shows school have not properly integrated technology yet...

we must start as soon as posssible, not for the sake of it so as to follow the trend. however, the more tech there is inside the classroom, the more strategies, activities, abilities, topics, and many oher items would be brought to a new life...

hope you can agree/disagree

I wanted to let everyone know about Glogster edu. Glogster is a place where students can create digital posters. How many posters do you get where students do and then you only want to hang like 5 of them?? Glogster edu is great because the posters are all digital, students can get very creative with them, and you can post them on your classroom blog if you have one. I post all my students glogsters on my classroom blog and then I have students comment on them. Signing up with glogster EDU is free for teachers.

I agree with all the posts supporting technology in the classroom. In our school district, teachers were recently given the green light to even utilize student cell phones for educational purposes. Students may use internet service on their phones to access literature databases, dictionaries, or any other eduationally related site should the teacher give permission. This is just one of the ways we can reach students who have become digital learners. Our students are stimulated by all of the digital resources out there in their everyday lives, we certainly wouldn't want them to "gear down" when they come in our classrooms.

Argh. I just deleted my post on the necessity of technology in the modern classroom. So much for technology! : )

I do believe that technology should be used in every classroom and that we should look at it as a "new" literacy. Just as Addison and Steele revolutionized periodicals, the new technologies in our classrooms are revolutionizing the way our students communicate. We need to help our students utilize these tools in effective and responsible ways. The best way to do that is by example. If I use someone's material for a PowerPoint, for example, I cite their work at the end of my presentation. 

That being said, technology is not necessary for every class period. Sometimes a book in hand and a socratic circle is still the best way to communicate.

With technology becoming one of the main tools for communicating, I think it is very important to teach students to use it - and use it responsibly.  I must admit, I am surprised when I take my middle school students to the lab and find that only one or two know how to type correctly, while the others hen peck their way through the keys.  Sure, maybe innovative students can find new ways to type efficiently without putting the same fingers on the same keys that I do (many argue to me that they can type just fine they way they do), but I have yet to meet a student who can beat me with their off-beat method.  It's valuable to learn how to represent yourself through type, through programs like PowerPoint, and through the use of websites.

As far as using technology in my classroom, I prefer to combine technology with good ol' paper.  I want my students to know how to freewrite, to take notes, to write an outline, to organize an essay without hopping on the computer, because they won't have technology at their fingertips in every situation.  They need know how to be flexible.  So yes, we go to the lab to work on revisions and final drafts, but the students also keep writing notebooks and use them for less formal assignments.

One more point - don't have a smartboard (my school is way behind the times on technology, unfortunately; I use my personal laptop every day because the school computer is ancient), but I have a projector in my room, and I love having the option to whip out my computer to show a relevant Youtube video or photos or Keynote presentation.  I find it helpful to have the option to use technology to compliment my regular lessons.

Technology is grand, when it works, but the key here is when it works. In my school district 1/4 of the staff received new desktop computers while the majority continue to wait 1 1/2 years for the handing out of the laptops. By the time we finally get them they will be obsolete. In the meantime, I try to function on my school computer that has been there since 1999. I love technology and I love how the administration wants to push us all to learn about technology but learning the skills without the knowledge of how it can be applied within a classroom setting is not very helpful. I have taken courses and seminars to learn how to use software and online sites to create very cool lessons but most of the sites are then blocked by my district. We have 3 Smartboards to share among 90 teachers. As much as I enjoy access to the new, I still prefer to hold a book in my hand.

As a self admitted luddite, I am slowly moving into the age of technology--I can make a power point and run a power point presentation.  I can project on to Smart board, but the board won't hook up to be used fully so I still run things from the computer.  I still have an overhead and a blackboard in my room.  All is fair game for use and I think all teachers  use what is expedient to the content being taught and the style that best fits the teacher and class.

But I admit big reluctance to podcasting or video casting and even posting all my notes and handouts on line.  Administration is ever pushing for us to do this and I see my students wanting to completely rely on this kind of teaching experience.  Why write down the notes--I'll download later.  Why write down the vocab words down--I'll get them later online.  Why listen to the lecture--I'll listen to it later.  Why go to class--I'll get it all online.  While I know that can be valuable, I've been hired to be a teacher in the classroom--not the  virtual teacher. 

One of my co-workers put together podcasts to help her 9th graders study vocabulary.  They would download her podcast and listen to it over and over on their Ipods. One week she didn't have it available. Her students did miserably on the quiz.  Students and parents complained that her not having the podcast available contributed to the poor grades  and that she should keep that in mind as she finalized the grades.   YE GAD--it cannot come to this.

I'll use technology yes, but I will not become a Borg and a part of the Collective- for those of you Star Trek  New Generation viewers.

     I teach in a college prep school in Florida where our classes are 90 minutes long; I find using a variety of activities within that time frame keeps the students engaged, interested, and learning.  My class instruction previously was composed of teacher lecture and teacher directed questions.  I have, over the last few years expanded my teaching methods to include blogs, wikis and multimedia.  For instance, I am just finishing a unit on ballads.  I introduced the students to the ballad form with a handout containing several ballads and an explanation of the standard ballad format.  After discussion, I played student recorded ballads from previous years that are posted on our class wiki.  The students could read along on the screen while they listened to the students recite their ballad.  This sparked student interest as we continued with a discussion of what ballad elements the students had used in their writing.  After the students write their ballads, they will be posted on our class blog, and each student will comment on two student's ballads; this will allow students to have a wider audience for their ballad than just their teacher.  I will select the best ballads to be recorded and will post them on our class wiki to use in my instruction next year.

     I would hesitate to say that  teachers not using  technology are keeping students from receiving a good education; however, students should be actively engaged in their learning; using multimedia in your lesson and allowing students to creaste multimedia projects does keep students interested and involved.  It's an effective method for students to enjoy literature and to love learning; that is after all, our key objective as teachers of literature.

One great benefit of today's technology is that it has given us the ability to quickly gather large amounts of material and information.  This is also a great pitfall.  I believe that this new-found ability is training and coaxing all of us, not just the students, to embrace breadth rather than depth.  This results in a tendency to make quick judgements, to become easily bored and to lose critical thinking skills.  Maybe that's one reason why I am wary.  It might also be the reason why I am so drawn to illuminated texts, since they demonstrate a use of technology that forces us to slow down, evaluate, re-work and make literary connections.