Technology+Integration

[] The video I saw was entitled, Teaching Math to Boys. It focused on a male teachers efforts and success in implementing technology in the classroom for the purpose of making math lessons interactive between the teacher and his all male students.

Aside from the teacher using technology to teach, I was inspired by his sense of wanting to connect with his students. He used a powerpoint format to display inspirational mesages throughout the week. He also displayed pictures of his students doing things which demonstrated good school spirit, accomplishments they have made etc. This, the teacher explained, was a form of classroom management, because his system was an added incentive for students to do well--the outcome was their picture displayed in front of the class on the powerpoint display all week.

What also interested me most about this video was that the teacher enriched his math lessons with an interactive component. He used a web camera to enhance his own instructional strategies, but too, so that his students could show their own thinking, and demonstrate their own work.

Techonology in the classroom is another form of differentiating instruction for students. It enables the kinesthetic learners to show their work in front of the whole class, the visual learners are able to see first-hand concrete instruction, and further, everyone is involved and integrally a part of the learning and doing process. This in itself, pull students in and engages them the learning journey.

I believe in a technology rich classroom, and I will most certainly incorporate into my practices. I want to utilize all of my resources and incorporat as much of it as I can to get my students engaged. I want my students to learn to create their own powerpoints, take notes on word ms, use a document camera to show and demonstrate their own work. I intend on involving my students in being responsible for setting up our technical devices. For example, weekly, I will appoint a "technology person" that is willingly intereste in helping to maintain our devices.

In doing so, my students will learn the many uses of technology, rather than assuming that it is merely for recreational enjoyment such as video games and computer game. My hope will be that they see it as a helpful tool in accomplishing educational milestone.