I watched one of the 21st Century Teacher videos. It was the first one on Dr. A's website. Here is the link: http://sites.google.com/site/drasresources/i-need-my-teachers-to-learn
It is a song about kids today, the way they learn, and how teachers should change the way they teach. The video stated that teachers need to continually be learning. There were examples given of how involved with technology kids are today. One thing that really stuck out to me was a story about a 3rd grade little girl. She wanted to bring her dad to show and tell, but he was unable to attend. He planned to Skype with his daughter's class since he could not be there in person. When the child attempted to log onto Skype, access was denied because it was blocked by the school. I was shocked by this. There are so many benefits to using technology in the classroom. The Skype show-and-tell is just one example of how it could be utilized in a classroom. It would be a great tool to use if a class was doing a pen pal project. Students could Skype with their pen pals and actually see them and talk to them face to face. I'm sure students would be very excited to do this. They could learn about other cultures by Skyping with someone who lives in that culture. These are just a few ways that one technological tool could be used in the classroom.
Children today are exposed to way more technology than I was as a child. They are playing video games as toddlers, using cell phones in elementary school, and creating their own social networking sites. In a world where technology is so prevalent in the lives of children, teachers and schools should be utilizing the many technological resources in the classroom. There are endless educational opportunities on the Internet from YouTube videos, to educational games, to resource sites. Some teachers are now using PowerPoint and smart boards to teach. I think these are exciting ways to teach children. I believe that we must use technology in the classroom and teach children how to utilize their available resources to be prepared for their futures. This requires teachers to continue learning about new technological advances and how to use them in the classroom.
Feel free to state your opinions and/or ideas! :)
