Today's students are lightyears beyond students from the 1990s and 2000s. Having graduated in 2001, I can remember a time when texting wasn't the norm and when internet access was only at a desktop. Even then I thought I was "ahead of the game" because my cell phone had texting capabilities when most students in my high school did not have that. But I wouldn't hold a candle to the students of 2012. Technology is at the tip of their fingers because they can carry it in their pockets. This is why having technology in the classroom is so important because without this students become detatched and uninterested in lessons.
Ms. Tolisano creatively incorporates technology in her lessons, allowing students to learn the required curriculum while sharpening their technological skills. An example of this is her implementation of student podcasts in a lesson of the book Flat Stanley by Jim Brown. Each student has the opportunity to narrate their Flat Stanley character. While listening to the audio, I could sense the excitement in each student's voice and really grasp that they enjoy and gain a lot from the lesson.
Joe Dale's incorporation of podcasts within his blogs is an innovative tool in accommodating students and parents. The podcast helps to emphasize important points of lessons. This is especially useful to students who may need extra review or are absent from class. Podcasts also assist parents in staying on top of their children's work. I can definitely see myself incorporating this into my classroom. I am all for sharing the students progression with their parents. It's beneficial all around.
The two videos on Judy Scharf's podcast collection help me as I'm sure it did our entire group. We made sure to be familiar with the tools we used to film and create our podcast. It was also helpful to be prepared and rehearsed on your topic as it will flow easier and not look so forced. Even before we edited our podcast, and it was just video of us doing our skit, I think we all thought, "wow! Look at what we created and how much we learned just by going over the information with ourselves. Imagine the benefits of podcasting in the classroom? It is well worth taking the time and effort to understand and figure out how to use the tools to create a podcast.
Hello Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou appear to have a good grasp of what it means to be a teacher in this time of technological turbulence. We can't remain mired in the past when it comes to education. Just remember to include links to the sources you discuss in your posts in case any visitors want to check out what you're discussing on their own. I think y'all were also supposed to write about three sources for this post. I only see two. I'm glad to see you aren't crediting Google images though!
baahahahaha yeah! I said if I did one thing right on this post it would be to credit the correct source JUST FOR YOU!!!! Thank you for your kind words Bailey, I seem to be doing a lot of wrong things for this class lately when I know I'm putting in well over the suggested hours, I just have so much going on. Ohhhh you're wondering if you overlooked your invite to my pity party?!?!? LOL jk! But, seriously, I look forward to your positive critique each week, it helps me learn!!!! Thanks again :)
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