Technology+Reflections

http://www.towner.k12.nd.us/laptop Reflections of technology in the classroom-

SMARTboard: This is one of the most useful tools we have learned about in this class and I think it will be one of my favorite pieces of technology I will work with in my classroom. The possibilities with this equipment are endless. I love that is is interactive for the kids and allows them to be involved when we are working together as a class. It is fairly simple to use once you get the hang of it and from what I have seen in my classroom observations, the kids absolutely love it and can easily and quickly pick up on how to use it.

Kidspiration: This is an incredible software. I could be entertained for hours just playing with the different types of pages you can make using this technology. It is a great way to incorporate technology into a lesson plan. It can be used for group or individual activities which makes it very versatile in the classroom. I think for those students who may struggle with math, the math pages could be really helpful in letting them have visual representations that the students can manipulate and work with to help them see the subject in a different way.

Podcast: This is a great way to bring parents into the classroom. It is easy to use if parents simply have access to a computer. I also really appreciate that it can be used as a tool to get parents and students working together in the home as well. It can be used to create activities that parents and students can do together when they aren't in the classroom.

iMovie- This technology has so many possibilities for giving students a creative outlet in the classroom. I think this would be a perfect thing to use in place of a book report that was written with a pencil and paper. It is also a good way for students to work in groups with their peers and work together to create something. Some students may really benefit from using an alternative form to present what they have learned in many different subjects.

Wikispace- Giving parents and students a way to keep up with what is going on in the classroom is so important, but the Wikispace can be used for so much more than that even! It is a way for students to get involved but also for parents to keep in touch with the teacher and share any ideas they have.