Creating a Technology Friendly Classroom

Children in today's society are rapidly increasing their knowledge of up-to-date technology and we as teachers need to be one step ahead. Because the growth of technology is so rapid, it is imperative that we as teachers keep up with what is new. This technology can be helpful for us to use in our classrooms and keep our students interested in the subject we are teaching. With the use of different pieces of technology in our classroom, it also takes away from the redundant book and lecture teaching style.

It is my goal to make my classroom a fun, interesting learning environment and I feel with the use of different types of technology I will succeed in making this happen.

IPods and ITunes

Would it be reasonable to use an IPod in a classroom setting? How about using ITunes?

I have learned that an IPod could be a useful tool in a classroom. For instance, when there are times when individualized teaching is a priority, a prerecorded lecture could be put on an IPod for the students to listen to during down time or even when students are absent. This could also be used for an easy instructional tool by giving students a step-by-step method for completing a project.

ITunes also has some very useful podcasts and videocasts for teachers. Any teacher can download many of these free and use additional pieces of instruction for use in his or her classroom. This is just an added benefit and tool that were not available to educators for many years in the past and need to be utilized now.

GPS and Geocaching

Technology has come so far now that we actually have the ability to use a GPS in our classrooms. I'm excited, are YOU?

I was thrilled to learn that there are new uses for GPS devices by participating in geocaching. Geocaching is way of creating a scavenger hunt for different items throughout a school campus, a town, a state and possibly even larger. Teachers can use this type of technology for a science, social studies or even a math lesson. Learning how to use the GPS machine itself will be a tool for learning for the students.

I am really excited about this tool and I hope that I will have the opportunity to use this in my future classroom.

Google and It's Many Uses

Education is not free any more, so we need to make sure we have free resources to support our students and our teaching styles. Google has afforded us, even as teachers, tools to use on their website. On the main Google website there is a pull-down menu under "more" where any person can access a variety of these tools. Anyone accessing this can create blogs, spreadsheets, documents, free email and the ability to sort, edit and share photos.

In my opinion, Google has unlimited possibilities for anyone. Educational resources are limited at times because of financial strains on various school systems. Google has enabled educators access to these educational resources and more at a fraction of the cost, FREE! This is one tool that I will be using throughout my education and into my classroom.

Hands-On Education

Hands-on education is such an important part of teaching today. There are so many standardized tests and standards required in each school system nowadays, it is hard not to have a "burp-back" type education. This is why it is so important for us as educators to use our classroom as a venue for hands-on education. Each and every child learns in different ways and we must meet those children where they are. As educators using a hands-on education approach, we may be able to reach these children and their learning styles. For example, we need to allow our students to explore through the use of projects, experiments, and tasks. Getting away from the "burp-back" education and lead students to use what they are learning, we can insure a much higher retention rate and therefore bring those test scores up every time.