Technology in the Classroom

I have learned many different tools and devices by taking Technology in Education at Susquehanna. I remember the first class when I left with clueless thoughts about technology. I was both overwhelmed and nervous because I had no idea what a 21st century classroom was. Now, I WILL have a 21st century classroom full of technology for my students to use.

Tools such as Google Docs, Microsoft Office, Powerpoints, Scavenger Hunts, Web Quests, Pod Casts, Blogs, Web pages, as well as many other computer sources can be beneficial in the classroom. As a techer, I see myself relying heavily on online games and activities. I am an elementary education major and students that age love interacting and using hands on activities. There are games on the web that are fun and enjoyable for children those ages. These games are educational as well as challenging. I would love to incorporate the computer into as many lesson presentations as I can. If I were to teach older students, blog entries, emails, and web pages are great ways to interact with peers as well as faculty in school systems. Lastly, I would want to incorporate stories on CD Rom or through the use of online recordings. Many students become greatly engaged in listening to a story through audio.

My views of technology in the classroom have changed greatly over the past seven weeks. The first week of class I had an idea of technology as google.com and you tube. As weeks progresssed and assignments were assigned, I burst out of my bubble to witness a great world of technoloical tools for students to use. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that I am excited to see where it will stand two years from now, when I have my own classroom!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xBYSdMK1LU

Ethics in Education

Fair use indicates that a student or teacher cannot copy another individual's work without giving them the proper credit. Over the years, many legal laws have been established in school systems regarding copyright issues. Fair use deals with different concepts, such as; a teacher might make a copy of an article or a page from a book for use with a class to support a particular concept, but they may not make copies of the whole book or workbook for the entire class and use the copies as class texts. They are expected to buy them (http://fno.org/jun96/legal.html#Concept%20of%20Fair%20Use).

The 21st century classroom has become more common throughout education. Both students and teachers are constantly roaming the web as well as researching, blogging, and using email with little or no guidance. It is great that students are using outside tools to enhance their education but teachers must make sure they are credited the work they borrow books as well as websites. If students do not acknowledge who helped them with their work, it is a form of copyright.

As a teacher I will have to be careful of copyright laws. For instance, educators are only allowed to show fifteen minutes of a film, rather than the whole movie. To work around this law, I will try to show the important parts of the film that have an affect on the lesson I am teaching. On the other hand, if a teacher receives district approval, they may show a whole film that has educational purpose to it.

When students complete projects they should be aware of credible sources as well as stating which sources they uses. For example, you tube may not always be a credible source as well as Wikipedia. Teachers should be of knowledge to their sites before going into the teaching field. If I had a student who used you tube I would mention to them other media tools that are more educational such as National Geographic or Encarta Online Encyclopedia. If one of my students was completing a research paper I should make sure they cite whenever possible. When in doubt, cite your work! That is a motto I have learned throughout my years in school. It never hurts to throw a citation in your writing, it helps the teacher recognize where your work came from.