I would say that the use of edTech is pretty average in my classroom and my school as a whole. My CT and I are always looking for new ways to use the resources we have available to us to make learning fun and engaging for the kids. It has always been my goal to be the kind of teacher that lets the kids do the learning and the teaching. I am a HUGE advocate of project-based learning, and it’s kind of easy to do with math. Since it is my first time teaching, however, I thought that it would be better for me to build confidence and practice using just the basic methods that I’ve seen previous teachers use, just in case the school I end up working at doesn’t have the resources that I’m used to.
I have been encouraged by my CT to share whatever “new methods” I come across. I figure if I share them with her, she’ll use them and I can observe and sort of use her as a guinea pig…in a good way, of course. I am definitely going to be sharing what I learn in this class with her because she’s always looking for other ways to present material and engage the kids in learning. We mainly use edTech for supplemental learning or as a break from all the paper and “boring” work they usually do. I’d like to incorporate it a lot more as time goes on and find new ways to incorporate, not just screens, but other forms of technology as well.
We’ve really only gone so far as to use the iPads and the Apple TV, and even then we use them sparingly just because we have yet to actually incorporate a sort of rhythm regarding edTech in the classroom. The kids do get exposed to it more frequently in their other classes, though, so I guess it’s alright if we don’t really use it that often. I do like to use an app called Show Me, which is an interactive whiteboard that we sometimes use for notes or for classwork and project with the Apple TV.
All in all, I would like to be able to use more edTech in the classroom as often as possible because I feel that it would benefit the students to be able to interact with technology (if they aren’t already doing so at home) in an educational way.
That’s it for now!
Featured Picture: Pensive Squirrel by Seth Wilson @ flickr.com
Thanks for sharing some of the ideas that you use in your classroom. I love the idea of an interactive whiteboard app, however I do not quite have the technology for it in my classroom sadly.
I think that using your CT as a guinea pig is what they are there for. Our CT’s are there to help us become better teachers and sometimes that means observing how they would teach or use an instructional strategy.
Thanks for the insights!
It is great to hear your strong support of project-based learning and I am sure there are many tools out there that will help you build projects and communal activities, but it is just a matter of finding them.
I too think that whiteboard app is an interesting and fun tool and I am curious to know if it can be a collaborative whiteboard where students are working on their Ipad but on the same screen?
Is there any way for students to screen capture their work as they draw on the board their problem solving and then use that animation to explain their thinking as the video plays back?
Just some thought to maybe help get others going!
One of the ways to foster a PBL approach is to think about an external audience for your work. That’s why I have my students writing to a blog – the world is watching. Not only you the students, but me the teacher. Keeps us all working at a higher level.
First off, I’m intrigued by your comment “I am a HUGE advocate of project-based learning, and it’s kind of easy to do with math.” I share your enthusiasm for PBL, but I don’t think of it as a popular tech in math (though it should be – let achieve a real life goal and learn the math it takes to get the job done!) Remind me to show the class a video I made of a Hood River teacher who had the students measuring the school. Though not tons of tech use to get it done. They used lengths of string. 😉
I’m also encouraged by you relationship with your CT – sounds like you are having fun exploring and innovating.
Tamalin, from what I have seen, your teaching philosophy translates pretty directly into how you teach – you lead in a way that makes students want to take responsibility for their learning, and then they in turn have more fun learning exactly because of this! Wise woman to use your CT as a guinea pig of sorts! It’s neat that you two can toss ideas back and forth and can bring ideas from this class to try in the field itself. 🙂
As you say, keeping it fresh and presenting material in new ways are all going to help the material be memorable and interesting for students. Developing a rhythm with technology in the classroom might take a while. For now, the fact that you are enthusiastically designing new activities and clearly care about students enjoying your class is without a doubt making a difference. Tech seems to be all about making learning alive and dynamic rather than static and dull. Keep up the guinea pigging – I am curious to hear about your results throughout the semester.