technology in the 21st century classroom
“The best instruction happens when a caring, skilled instructor uses every resource at his or her disposal to help students learn — including the power of technology. …Technology empowers teachers like never before to support their personal mission of providing the best possible education to their students.” – U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Organizing and maintaining a 21st-Century classroom by building a learning environment best suited for today's social learners is something Eileen Mackey, a teacher at the Pulaski Street School, both understands and embraces. Mrs. Mackey uses several readily available digital tools for both instruction and behavior management in her classroom. Here are a few of the tools she uses frequently:
-Smart Boards are now a staple in most of our classrooms. Smart Boards are able to project software on to an interactive white board. They engage learners in a very visual AND hands-on way. In Mrs. Mackey’s math class, the students were eager to come to the front of the room to grab a triangle or rectangle, pull it on to the board and to demonstrate how to determine its area. Not only was it fun for that particular student, but the whole class became involved in the discovery process. Someone pointed out that the sides of the rectangle were mislabeled: critical thinking plugged in--12 and 27 were in the wrong positions. The longest side of the rectangle couldn’t possibly be 12. Mrs. Mackey held a construction paper thought bubble over the demonstrator’s head as the light came on in his eyes and he erased the numbers and made the correction.
-Class Dojo as a classroom behavioral success program
After assigning a worksheet on determining the perimeter and area of a group of rectangles and triangles, Mrs. Mackey brings up her Dojo page up on her Smart Board. Each student’s name is listed and accompanied by an avatar that the students designed themselves. As the students work, Mrs. Mackey rewards students with points for positive behavior by tapping a student’s icon and stating, “I like how Carmen is working diligently on her assignment, so she gets a point.” -Schoology.com for online instruction and feedback – A site that allows for online questioning and discussions in science, social studies, English language arts, etc.
Jeremy Friedman, one of the founders of Schoology, talks about its origins in an interview in edtech digest . . "In the Greek language, the 'logy' suffix is used to identify core knowledge about a specific theme—sociology, theology, etc. And the word “school” is an instantly recognizable term for any place of learning, whether it’s a traditional elementary school classroom, a virtual university, or even a cooking school. So, what better name to use for a collaborative platform that excels in learning than 'Schoology'?" Schoology, he continues, allows teachers to securely and efficiently conduct tests and quizzes, host discussions about course materials, provide supplemental insights on daily lessons via blogging, offer one-to-one feedback on assignments, assign and collect homework, and expand in-class learning by sharing supplemental content and linking to additional reference materials. It also provides a safe and secure area for students to communicate and collaborate. As the platform is cloud-based, it essentially renders the three o’clock dismissal bell obsolete in terms of access to learning. All students and teachers need is a computer with an Internet connection. -Flash math game - Mrs. Mackey created a game to engage students in learning to identify shapes and their names in a rapid fire game of streaming shapes and questions.
-Google Drive for file storage and resources – Glogster / Final Cut Express / Google Apps -RazKids, a reading program that can be accessed inside and outside of the classroom. The program has built-in rewards and is levelled. Like Schoology, it, too, can be accessed by a student AND his or her parents outside the classroom. (See RazKids at Aquebogue.) |
The bottom line is that most students enjoy technologically-driven learning. Tablets, iPads, touch screen computers, integrated digital conversations on iPads on the carpet and at computer stations in the classroom are eagerly embraced by students. Students, who struggle with the difficulty of turning a page, easily swipe their way through a book on a tablet or a touch screen computer. Educational software is expanding exponentially as the hardware becomes more accessible.
“Technology in the classroom will become even more predominant as the use of tablets becomes the norm,” states Superintendent Nancy Carney.
“I can’t wait until all my students have access to an iPad or an Android tablet,” states Mrs. Mackey. “We would really use them."
“Technology in the classroom will become even more predominant as the use of tablets becomes the norm,” states Superintendent Nancy Carney.
“I can’t wait until all my students have access to an iPad or an Android tablet,” states Mrs. Mackey. “We would really use them."