Interactive "Clickers" Create a New Way of Communicating

As a student, I personally hate being called upon to give answers because I continuously second guess myself and are not 100% confident in my response. Classrooms today are reducing the awkward moments and tensions between teachers and students when it comes to answering questions. I personally have interacted with these "clickers" in over five of my classes and I really do appreciate this great use of technology in the classroom.

The clickers are just what you think of when you hear the word. A small, remote like, wireless device that is clicked to signify a students answer. These devices are commonly used in classrooms to ease any fears that go along with answering a question in front of a classroom. I believe these clickers are a great tool for teachers because it gives them an accurate response of students beliefs or comprehension of the presented material. Teachers can use these to interpret students real feelings and shape their lessons around material that may need more attention than others. These clickers may not create a immediate connection between a teacher and a student but, these do enable teachers and students to participate actively with out always raising their hand and speaking.


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Images above used from Flickr-Creative Commons with permission by cpswtexas.

"Blogging" in the Classroom Opens up World of Communication

As the Internet continues to expand and inform users of all ages, blogging can help individuals connect to the Internet in a way not explored before and I think blogging should be integrated into the classroom. Students often use the Internet for homework, research, email, and social networking. But, what if the students could do all of those and more in the form of a blog.

For some students, participating in class or vocally individually with a teacher is difficult. As a teacher you have to learn that not everyone learns the same way and have to adapt to every ones style of learning and communicating. Blogging is a great way for those shy or technology savvy students to communicate with the teacher and their peers.

A student may be given the opportunity to create a blog in response to a lesson or post a entry about what they leaned any given day. These blogs are easy to use and can be completed on the students own schedule, virtually anyway they have an Internet connection.

Teachers can use the blogs to communicate with their students better and inform them of any information outside of the school day. Teachers can post information about tests and quizzes and help any student who publishes a question they may have. Students and teachers and collaborate and work together to discuss and grow as leaner's with the introduction of blogging in the classroom. I think that blogs are important to implement in the classroom because this just creates another way for a teacher to build a bond with their students. This form of technology can help students voice their opinions and help the students also communicate with other students, possibly in a way that they feel more comfortable in. Blogging combines children's favorite activities on the Internet into one and the students are able to complete homework, stay connected, and communicate through blogs.

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Blog images used from Flickr-Creative Commons with permission from Kristina B and Blogging Montage.

PowerTeacher Program Enables Teachers to Easily Organize Their Gradebook

When I completed my first field experience I was introduced to a new teacher grade book system called PowerTeacher. The classroom teacher I interacted with was very unorganized and not comfortable with technology before she was introduced to the program. After though, she loved how easy the program is to transport, to grade, and to use. After I saw how easy it was for to use the program, I was interested in learning more about the benefits this program has for teachers.

This program is unlike other teacher grading programs because PowerTeacher is based over the web and limited to one computer. Another interesting feature this program has is its ability to be used on all browsers (mac, windows, etc.). This program not only lets you enter the grades the students have earned but, it also lets a teacher see areas of strengths and weakness for each student, multiple students, or the class a whole. When a teacher is able to see the grades their students earn, they are then able to judge their overall effectiveness in all areas of graded material. Finally, as I was researching more about this amazing technology I was blown away by the positive opinions of this technology. One report was of a 70 year old woman who was initially stubborn and not open to new or any technology in her classroom but, eventually she was grateful for this easy to use technology.

Not only does this PowerTeacher program benefit the teachers because of its convenient and easy uses it also impacts the students. When a teacher is able to visually see the outcome of their teachings, a teacher may continue or change their teaching style. With the introduction of the PowerTeacher online grade book, teachers will not longer fill students grades into a small column in the grade book and instead just click their way to better classrooms.

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PowerTeacher snapshot and picture used with permission from the Flickr-Creative Commons Website; picture by JesseEducation.

E-Readers in the Classroom Are the New Textbooks

Say goodbye to the heavy, dusty, and expensive textbooks and say hello to an electronic device that digitally displays the book for a student to read. Today's students have more experience with technology than previous generations and would be willing to replace their boring old textbooks with a "cooler" and more technology based textbook. If classrooms introduce e-readers this will save the schools money and space and will create a more individual connection between the student and the text.

The e-readers, an electronic digital display have become popular in the past couple of years and are known for their small design and easy transportation. Students of all ages have tested and assessed various types of e-readers and think highly of the machine and its future uses. I think that if classrooms stop buying the one hundred dollar textbooks and then choose to purchase the same text for less money, the schools will be saving money in the long run. I can remember receiving a textbook in elementary school and looking at the previous users of the text, which were many. The books are used and abused for far to long, and often become outdated. Textbooks are large and clunky and often are damaged beyond repair but, are still used. If the textbooks are downloaded digitally, the copy will last and not subject to the normal wear and tear. Finally, the days of carrying your body weight in textbooks home each night are over with the introduction of the e-reader to the classroom.

One final reason why e-readers should be introduced into the classroom is because the e-readers allow children to read at their own pace. This pace differs from person to person and students would like the ability to read in the way they like best. My friend suffers from dyslexia and often times her letters are reversed. This condition makes reading normal texts harder because she is faced with a large sheet filled with words and no direction on how to tackle the text. She recently purchase an e-reader and enjoys now using the device to read her texts in a more organized way. The following video highlights the many used of the e-reader not only in the classroom but in society as a whole.



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The picture of the book was used with permission from iClipart for Schools.