Technology

As I sat and read everyone's blogging, I realized that we are all on different levels of technology and understanding it, and even how we go about using it. I love being able to use technology, and I know I probably don't use it as often as I should. One of the reasons that I don't (in my eyes at least) is the fact that we have a limited supply of smartboards or projectors and it's hard to do the lessons I want without them. Share and share alike they always say, so I can't always hog the "hardware".
As I read Daniella's blog about the video iPod I was amazed on how far technology has come since I taught kindergarten (6years). I remember having my students do center time with Reading, and I thought using various games on the internet or Ready Rabbit Reader CD-Rom was cool...boy I wonder what they are using now :).
I read Tony's blog about a $100 laptop can change the world, but was unable to read the article (link was down). I think that the article could be very interesting to read and eye opener to those who think technology and learning have to be expensive.
Currently the students in our high school system each have their own laptops in which they take from class to class and have everything they need infront of them. According to "rumors" within the next few years the "laptop learning" will find it's way to our middle school. Part of me think that this is great, and part of me think that this might take away from the human interactive learning. I'm not sure though...have to wait and see I guess.
Technology is the way of the future, and I am sure we are in for a VERY interesting ride....I look forward to it :)

TV in the classroom

As I read the first part of chapter 5 and using TV in the classroom, I was instantly turned back to my sophmore year of high school in chemistry when every day seemed to be another video we had to watch. We would watch the video, the bell would ring, we would leave and it would happen all over again the next day. We were never held accountable for any of the information onthe videos, so after a while we started doing other homework in class, writing notes to each other, etc. This was obviously not a teaching strategy that was worthwhile.
Now, as a fifth grade teacher, I find that I use videos in my lessons and also as a culmination to my lessons, but I always hold my students accountable for the information. I will have worksheets that they have to answer, vocabulary that they need to define, questions that they must answer, or a journal assignment that they must respond to. Either way they must watch and pay attention to what they are watching, what they are being taught, and the meaning behind the movie may be.
One example was watching the movie of "Ruby Bridges" during Black History month. Ruby was the first black girl to go to an all white elementary school. Before the movie began we talked about segregation and how people were treated. We talked about name calling, and how inappropriate this behavior would be considered now adays. After watching the movie, the students responded to some of my thoughts in their journals. Showing them this and asking them to respond to it in their own words was a way I could see how much they really learned from it, and it was truly enlightening, for me and them.
Television, shows and videos can be a true asset to teaching, but only if it is done in an academic way and for academic reasons.