Sunday, November 13, 2011

Classroom Technology

Which technology do you think you would be most likely to use in your future classroom and why?


Hands down, the technology that would be used most in my classroom was the SmartBoard.  While I have used SmartBoards a little bit, I did not fully understand the immense power of the SmartBoard.  That is, I was not aware of the sheer number of applications and programs that were available specifically for the use on a SmartBoard.  Some of the applications that I sampled involved the human body and the various phases of the moon.  These amazing extensions of an already powerful technology certainly proved how great a SmartBoard can be.  While I am somewhat skeptical about the access to SmartBoards or similar technologies, I have seen that some of the newer schools are indeed using the technology.  I can only hope that one will be in my classroom, because not only would I love to use it, I would prefer it the traditional whiteboard. 


Which technology do you think you would be least likely to use and why?
The technology that I found least likely I would use would have to be ones that have very similar counterparts already in use on a regular computer.  For instance, Shwup and Animoto achieve things that I can already do in pieces of software like iMove.  Furthermore, using technology that is already developed by larger companies like Apple or Microsoft seem to be so much more powerful.  And while the web based products may be somewhat easier to use, I certainly prefer the personal computer based ones.


What did you did you learn about instructional strategies from your peers that you might put into effect in your future classroom?
I learned a lot about using pieces of technologies to reach students that do not necessarily feel reached in a traditional classroom. As future teachers we are really taught about the importance of differentiation of instruction.  Learning about these various pieces of technology was very simply a great presentation of some of the great ways we can reach differentiation.  


Were you surprised at students’ responses and/or work with technology as shown by your peers who chose Option 2?
This question is not applicable as none of my colleagues used Option 2.


What was the most fascinating thing you learned from your peers today?
Quite possibly the most impressive thing that I was able to gain from my peers was how well one can draw educational applicability out of nearly any piece technology or software.  Learning about the educational impact of tools like PollDaddy or Voki where it is necessary explicit, was simply fantastic.