Technology in the Classroom
This past semester I have been very fortunate to see some very different aspects to technology in the classroom. Some of the various technologies I have been fortunate to familiarize myself with have been the Promethean Board, Document Cameras, Google Docs, and Virtual Field Trips. My student teaching placement also has a laptop for nearly every student in the classroom and as a result of this there were several programs we used. Some of which were Achieve 3000, Typing Agent, as well as BrainPop.
One of the pieces of technology that I feel most fortunate to have used is the Promethean Board. I had never been in a classroom with a Smart Board before so I was excited to get to try it this semester. Most of the time I use it as a fancy white board, but I have experimented with some flip-charts on the board. My cooperating teacher has made some very fun presentations that she used for vocabulary. She pre-made presentations for each week of the year with about four words per week. The presentations were also interactive and allowed students to pull words from hidden places in the presentation. The Promethean Board also has a component where students can take a quiz directly on the board by logging their answers through voters. This is neat because it makes the quizzes completely paperless. I can honestly say I would like to have a Promethean Board in my classroom! I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Another unique program I feel fortunate to have seen in action is Typing Agent. This day in age most students have access to some sort of technology outside of the classroom however, the devices that students access have made a shift to touch screen. Students are very proficient in technology, but students still lack necessary typing skills. Typing Agent is a unique program that teaches students typing skills through engaging lessons and fun games. In my classroom we have been working with the program for about a month and the students are really enjoying it.
I feel like I have seen more technology in the classroom this year than I ever had before. However, I still feel like I am barely scratching the surface as to different technologies in the classroom. There is so much left to learn and I can safely say I am excited for the undertaking!
