Lesson 1 - Introduction to Using Technology in the Classroom
Welcome! This is the first of three lessons for the “Using Online Tools in the Classroom” course. In this lesson, you will read about how students learn and why they need technology in their education. You will watch a couple videos of students and schools discussing the role technology plays in their lives. You will also explore several online tools for educators. Then, you will collaborate with other teachers taking this course on Popplet.com to collect resources on the best online tools for educators.
Students today are “digital natives”; they have grown up with technology all around them and know how to use the technology better (on average) than a “digital immigrant”, or someone born before 1980. That also means that they are usually more familiar with technology than their teachers. Today’s students have cell phones in their pockets and can text their friends without even taking the phone out. They are accustomed to flipping through YouTube videos and jumping from webpage to webpage. Sitting in a chair for eight hours a day, listening to a teacher lecture and reading from an outdated textbook no longer holds the attention of today’s students. The students are changing, and so does the classroom. The classroom needs to move from books to bytes, the teacher from lecturer to learning-facilitator.
The teacher can’t just jump into the new role, however; s/he needs tools, knowledge of how to use the tools, and a community of help surrounding him/her. The technology used in the classroom has to have a definite purpose, and not just using technology for technology’s sake. To do this, the teacher has to think of these technologies as digital tools. When creating a lesson, the teacher has to decide what tool would be the best to use.
Now it’s your turn:
Step 1: Look at this website’s list of the 35 Best Online Classroom Tools. Explore the various sites. You can search for other online tools not on this list as well. Keep track of your favorite online tools. Look at this website as well.
Step 2: Read about Students and Learning in Chapter 2 of Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools
Step 3: Watch this PBS video on Digital Learning.
Activity:
After completing the three steps above, you should have a better understanding of today’s students and how you can reach and teach them through technology.
Go to http://popplet.com/ and create a free account. Once you do, send me the e-mail address you used to sign up, and I can make you a collaborator to our collective online bulletin board. Then, once you’re there, add your favorite online educator tools from Step 1. Comment on other educators’ favorite tools. Upload videos and photos to our Popplet site. This site will grow throughout this course, so keep checking back to see what new and exciting tools other educators have found.
Students today are “digital natives”; they have grown up with technology all around them and know how to use the technology better (on average) than a “digital immigrant”, or someone born before 1980. That also means that they are usually more familiar with technology than their teachers. Today’s students have cell phones in their pockets and can text their friends without even taking the phone out. They are accustomed to flipping through YouTube videos and jumping from webpage to webpage. Sitting in a chair for eight hours a day, listening to a teacher lecture and reading from an outdated textbook no longer holds the attention of today’s students. The students are changing, and so does the classroom. The classroom needs to move from books to bytes, the teacher from lecturer to learning-facilitator.
The teacher can’t just jump into the new role, however; s/he needs tools, knowledge of how to use the tools, and a community of help surrounding him/her. The technology used in the classroom has to have a definite purpose, and not just using technology for technology’s sake. To do this, the teacher has to think of these technologies as digital tools. When creating a lesson, the teacher has to decide what tool would be the best to use.
Now it’s your turn:
Step 1: Look at this website’s list of the 35 Best Online Classroom Tools. Explore the various sites. You can search for other online tools not on this list as well. Keep track of your favorite online tools. Look at this website as well.
Step 2: Read about Students and Learning in Chapter 2 of Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools
Step 3: Watch this PBS video on Digital Learning.
Activity:
After completing the three steps above, you should have a better understanding of today’s students and how you can reach and teach them through technology.
Go to http://popplet.com/ and create a free account. Once you do, send me the e-mail address you used to sign up, and I can make you a collaborator to our collective online bulletin board. Then, once you’re there, add your favorite online educator tools from Step 1. Comment on other educators’ favorite tools. Upload videos and photos to our Popplet site. This site will grow throughout this course, so keep checking back to see what new and exciting tools other educators have found.