Technology is everywhere and you cannot hide from it. As a society we are moving from the once wired world to wireless, and teachers and schools are being left behind. Look in your pocket chances are you have a cell phone or an MP3 player in it. There is more computing power in your pocket today than some of the very first computers. I have a cell phone today that has a faster processer in it than my first computer I built, which totally amazes me. So, why are some teachers afraid of using technology in the classroom? I feel some of teachers think they can’t use it because they are scared they will tear it up and it not work for them anymore. Others might think I am not going to use technology in the classroom because I have always taught this way and I have good test scores. Whether or not you as a teacher feel you are left behind there is always time to catch up.
Our student’s attention span is less than it has been than ever before. Fifteen minutes of fame are now 1.5 seconds (unless it goes viral). We have to reach our children with different strategies than we have in the past and we need to start today. So, you are asking yourself, how can I reach my students with technology today, or how can I help my students raise their test scores. Better yet how can I get my students to pay more attention in class? Well not every question has the same answer, and every situation is very different, but I can tell you if you integrate technology in your class room you will see improvements.
Something technology brings to a classroom is a fun factor. We have all heard or read studies that say if you make learning more fun you kids will do better with the curriculum you have developed. Today, the way our students have fun is with technology, whether it be texting, playing video games, or on their favorite social network. Our students are constantly connected to the digital world and that is where technology in the classroom should begin. Some simple steps that you can use if you have the equipment are.
Projector: if you have a projector in the class try and put notes on them the students can relate this to being more like a TV screen and we all know that most of our information is taken from a screen, most of us do get our information from it.
Videos: I am not the biggest supporter of watching videos in the classroom, but some serve their purpose. I believe students are more engaged when you can correlate your lesson plan with a video.
Websites: websites are useful to help collaborate lesson plans with other teachers that use the web. You can find great lesson plans, and ideas on web.
I am not saying go out and totally revamping your classroom with all the bells and whistles because the initial cost, but I am asking you to at least explore the possibilities technology can possess while in your classroom for the betterment of your students.
