Technology and The Classroom

Technology is here. Students use it. We use it. There are many reasons why teachers should embrace technology. Technology has improved the classroom for various reasons. The internet has opened communication with parents and students. Email gives students the opportunity to ask questions, inform teachers of difficulties or misunderstandings, and receive information from the teacher. Teachers can use the opportunity to teach students how to write and communicate effectively through email.

Although I do not have an abundance of technology in my classroom, I do make use of the computer and projector. Before my school received projectors, the good old transparency and overhead was used and reused, leaving my fingers black and blue. With the use of PowerPoint and Word, I use as many various strategies to teach my students. Instead of the teacher centered lecture, I engage students with different lessons and activities. The change is important, so that students do not get bored.
One thing I noticed that will disengage students is not being fully prepared for a lesson in which you are using a computer. Remember that if you use the computer, have all the components ready. In addition, view everything from the students’ stand point. Scrolling and looking for information that should be ready is distracting to some students, causing them to remain unfocused and disinterested. Especially in secondary school, students have the attention span of ..zero…watching you figure out what to do is like opening the door for chatter and chaos. In addition, technology should be used as an extension to you as the teacher. Teachers still need to add the human qualities of speaking, walking around, and interacting with the students. Students often complain of the PowerPoint teacher; they feel it is a bit impersonal and robotic.

For the last 9 years, my students have submitted their writing assignments into Turnitin.com (http://turnitin.com/static/index.php). Here, the assignments are checked for plagiarism and students are given feedback within seconds. Within the last 4 years, I have also used the website to grade their papers. With arthritis in my thumb and wrist (as a result of grading!= ) ), typing comments and using the GradeMark clipboard have been a blessing! The tired “I’m writing the same comments over and over again” is a thing of the past. Instead, I can place the repeated comment on the clipboard and “click,” place the comment on the paper, any paper, every paper. The students are able to see the comments when they check in to find out their scores. In addition, the comments that are used in the GradeMark clipboard give students explanations and suggestions for improvement for their errors. The website allows teachers to monitor students’ work, create rubrics and grade, and communicate with them via email or discussion board. There is a fee for this website, but well worth it.

Finally, with the use of technology, students can use computers and programs to communicate their ideas and work through various rhetorical strategies. I have created various multi-genre projects where students incorporate technology and other subject matters into their presentation. The students and audience are engaged. In addition, this opens the door for cross-curricular learning and assessment. Yay!