Blog (Xs and Os)

During the last three weeks I have learned that incorporating technology in a lesson is a must, not only when planning a lesson for my students, but also during my courses at Trinity. Some programs that can be used to engage 21^st century learners are Blogs; Prezi; Digital Storytelling; IMovie; Podcasts; Web 2.0; EPals; PowerPoint; Wordle, and Interactive Whiteboards. There are no excuses not to be able to engage 21^st learners, all of these programs can be used to teach any subject and are available for free.

After taking ED100 I have learned the importance of technology in a classroom and the latest programs that are available for teachers to be able to make a lesson fun while students learn. The new generation of students learns, engages, communicates, thinks, and interacts through technology so the use of it is a must. When using technology the right way you will allow students to not only learn, but also be engaged and motivated at all times. This class not only prepared me for Digital Native Learners, but also motivated me to always use technology in a lesson. It also allowed me to read articles, learn new programs and use them so I can learn for future use.

Interactive Whiteboards

Over the last few years, interactive whiteboards have become popular and more schools are integrating them into their classrooms. Interactive whiteboards are a great tool when teachers know how to use them. In a small study that was done, it showed a 16% point gain in students’ achievement. This is why teachers need to use interactive whiteboards more effectively. Some strategies that teachers should use are visuals that focus on the important information; organize information; and make small and meaningful segments with bullet points. In addition, teachers should stop to discuss correct or incorrect answers or listen to students opinions. In order to make whiteboards effective in the classroom teachers need to learn the basics. A smart board lesson needs to be well organized and be able to engage students. Some features that interactive whiteboards provide to engage students are pull-tabs; add extra interaction; drag to reveal; animate objects; games; create a theme and/or custom backgrounds for the lesson. Furthermore, with all the resources that are available for 21^st century education, there is no excuse for teachers to not be able to provide well thought out lessons with a whiteboard, all educators know that these new generations learn through technology, this is why teachers need to incorporate all sorts of technology in their lessons.