Hi, Everyone!
My name is Jessica. I’m an English major and some day soon I will be teaching in a high school classroom and I’m looking forward to graduating next Spring.
I feel media technology plays an important role when it comes to running a classroom. There are so many different kinds of technology in which teachers can use, one of my favorite being PowerPoint. I remember a time in school when teachers would sit at the front of the room with an overhead projector and write out each and every painstaking word of the notes they wanted us to take down to study. With PowerPoint, the presentation is already there and is beneficial to both students and teachers because it saves a lot of time.
I think media technology should play a role in teaching because we are in a world that is highly technological. Kids these days grow up on computers and video games like no generation has ever done before. Even my three-year-old cousin knows how to navigate on an iPad! It would almost be like going back in time if we expect teachers not to use computers and technology in the classroom.
Like everything else, there are drawbacks to using technology in the classroom. For example, if every student had a computer in front of them, it may be harder to monitor whether or not the students are grasping the lesson plan because they may be playing around on the internet. But there are fixes to such situations, such as allowing the teacher to be able to see every student’s computer screen on their own computer, which I have actually experienced as a student at Glendale Community College. One of my English teachers allowed us to take essay exams on the computer and he was able to make sure none of us were cheating by cutting off the internet and having a home screen to view each student’s screen on his own computer.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI really liked what you wrote. I find myself thinking back of when I was in middle school and my teachers wrote on the overhead projectors an endless amount of notes. Now that I think about it, it felt as though the students could not really interact with the teachers because there wasn't any time for it since the note-taking took most of the time. Therefore, this is why I too feel that media technology is a good thing. One of my favorite tools, as well, is PowerPoint. This type of teaching, through PowerPoint, makes it faster, clearer, and easier for students to follow and because it does not take as much time as overhead-teaching, there is more interaction between students and teachers. Like you, I feel that drawbacks are found in many situations but as you said, there are ways of monitoring students’ activities. As long as the teacher keeps an interactive environment in the classroom and acknowledges students, media technology will be an extra tool to better teach students.
-Gloria C.
Hey girl!
ReplyDeleteI pretty much agree with what you have to say. The world is becoming more immune to technology, whether you like it or not. I have professors that don't believe in email! They say they don't believe in sitting in front of a computer all day. They just lack the proper communication skills that we require for school or work. Professors who believe in that are MIA.
Yes now a days, Kids are growing up on computers and video games because kids go with whats popular and new. I remember as a child playing Nintendo, which by the way did not allow you to play another player across the world like we can do now. I never owned my computer until I got to college. Now Maliyah knows how to use the computer at the age 5 and it's crazy knowing that she knows more then me sometimes.
Media technology is something that is overwhelmingly taking over and it only gets better.
Cherie
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI to am excited to see what the technologically savy students of these upcoming generations will be able to accomplish with these new tools. My siblings are able to program an Itouch and give it a new operating system. Personally, last semester I was part of a digital humanities project here at CSUN. We took multiple versions of medieval manuscripts that had been digitally uploaded. Got text versions and then were able to write papers regarding word frequency. I wrote a paper about the medieval use of the pronoun and all the information was made available to me with some very simple
programing. While you were talking about more a high school level, not collegiate, who knows how long till even younger ages utilize this kind of data research to accomplish some really interesting studies.
By the way I actually had completely forgotten about the over head projectors of our high school days. Those dark lights in those projectors put everyone to sleep. I am certainly happy about that technological advancement!
Jonathan Polus
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteThinking back to the days of overhead projectors almost gave me chills!
I could not agree more on your views of the role media technology should (and in some cases should not) play in the classroom. With so much out there on the internet and a frighteningly large portion of it so easily accessible, there definitely should be some teacher intervention in terms of what can and cannot be accessed through a computer. With so much freedom placed on a screen in front of them, students can so often become distracted during class time, making these technologies more harmful than beneficial.
On the other hand, having computers readily available for students makes it easier to follow along with lectures if, as you mentioned, certain restrictions are placed on how much on a computer can be accessed. At the same time, having these technologies available allows students to become more familiar with all these media tools and technological advances we have to offer.
Great post!
Jessica!
ReplyDeleteWhy did you have to remind me of the overhead projectors! That's harsh and they (as a teaching tool) are DIFFICULT!!!!!!!
Did I mention that a professor used an overhead in one of my classes this week? It was grainy, blurry, and to top it all off there was the use of another sheet of paper in order to reveal the upcoming topics we were about to discuss. You and I have had classes together, and I find it safe to say you're aware that I'm not one to be disrespectful or hold my tongue. I commented on the difficulty of reading the transparent and it was suggested that I move closer.
Really? I was mid-row, my glasses prescription is great, and if anyone else moved to the front someone would've been in a peer's lap. The professor then put the final nail in the coffin and stated they were not very technologically savvy. BIG SIGH!!!!
This got me to thinking on how amazed I was when I was first introduced to an overhead projector, but in today's times, though the projectors aren't obsolete, they are the equivalent of being powered by a rodent on a wheel vs the V8 engine powered Power Point presentations.
This professor is brilliant! I have great and various life experiences, and yet I am envious of the mind and teaching swagger of this professor. I am sure I will learn VOLUMES! However I began to think that I hope that I will never have to tell a student to move up instead being able to help them move ahead. Technology is one tool in an arsenal that will allow me to do so...or at that's where I am now.