Infusing Learning with Technology for Life

With the explosion of technology in the last decade, educators have a multitude of options to infusion their classrooms with technology. An ideal technology-infused classroom would not only have a 1-to-1 computer student ratio, but would also utilize numerous other types of technology such as; document camera, interactive whiteboard, student response clickers, mobi pad, AVermedia pens, podcasts, videos, Web 2.0 tools, online researching, online tutorials/games, and any other appropriate technology available. In such a classroom the teacher would be the director of the learning while the students would be in control of their learning.

Currently in my lab I do have the 1-to-1 ratio, projector, mobi pad, internet, and digital cameras. I currently cover Microsoft Office programs and digital graphic programs. What I need to do in my classroom is to integrate more Web 2.0 tools. I currently use Livebinders and a blog to deliver daily assignments to my students. Many of my lessons do incorporate research on the internet, and one way that I integrate core material is through online tutorials and games. In the coming semester I plan to begin having my students use a Wiki for some discussions, Animoto and Prezi for presentations, Google wave to collaborate, and blogs to improve their writing. I want to put my students in control of their learning and teach them as many Web 2.0 tools as I can.

My students are going to have to know how to learn and work with technology outside of high school. I know that they know how to use technology for entertainment, but I want show them educational uses. My goal is to prepare my students to successful use technology on their own once they leave my classroom.

Visual Literacy in the Digital Age

Students today have grown up in a technological and visual world. They have been raised with not only computers and the internet, but with the Rugrats, Bugs Bunny, and video games. This has developed them into learners who need both visuals and technology to learn. Visual literacy can help grab their attention, help them understand the text, and make them understand a concept better. One quick way to bring visual literacy into the classroom is through the use of the Internet. The Internet is full of visuals that can be used, from still images to videos. The impact on learning when combining visual literacy and technology is tremendous, because you have caught the students’ attention, given them the information in format easier to understand, and put the learning into their hands with technology.

I already use storyboards whenever the students need to plan out a project. Storyboards provide them with the opportunity to think about and plan how they want to present the information. I would like to add re-composing to my strategies. I have the students create several timelines throughout the year and could have them write about those in a more formal way after creating them. This could hopefully improve their writing skills. I am also going to have them use some online graphic organizers. I want to make my students aware of them so they can use them in other classes as well.

Being a technology teacher the Internet is a vital component of my daily classroom routine. I currently put all my assignments on the internet for my students to access. I am constantly looking for projects that utilize the Internet so that my students learn more educational uses for the Internet. I want my students to leave my classroom knowing that the Internet is way more than Myspace , Facebook, Youtube, or games. All of these have their benefits, but the Internet is full of fantastic, educational resources that my students will find useful now and later on in their lives.