Using technology to help the teaching and learning process in your classroom

Using technology to help the teaching and learning process in the classroom can be very beneficial. There are many ways that teachers can incorporate technology into their lessons that is not limited to just using the internet. For example, teachers can use wikis, blogs, teacher web pages, virtual tours, and webquests.

When I become a teacher I will definitely integrate technology into my lessons. I would like to use a teacher webpage because I think they are a great way for teachers to communicate with the students. Being able to have a webpage that every student can access will allow me to post the homework assignments for each night, a calendar of events, and other websites that the students can access to get extra help. Also, even though we did not go over it in my Instructional Technology class, I know I would definitely like to use a SmartBoard in my classroom. I think SmartBoards are a great resource for teachers when teaching. They are a great way to cover all of the necessary material, and they help the teacher get through a lesson more quickly since everything can be set up before the class even starts. Also, SmartBoards allow teachers to use different activities that can get the students involved in.

Technology will be a very important aspect in my classroom. It is a great tool that I will be able to take advantage of. My teacher web page will provide a great way for me to communicate to my students even when out of class, and using a SmartBoard will be a great way for me to teach more efficiently. I will also make use of the internet in my classes and I will visit different websites so I can introduce them to my students for their use when doing homework and studying for tests and quizzes.

Podcasting

A podcast is defined as recorded audio that is stored on a Web site that can be downloaded to a computer or a portable media player such as an iPod. Podcasts can be used to share all kinds of information with anyone at any time. Some examples of podcasts include music, radio shows, new stories, television commentaries, and even classroom lectures.

I will use podcasting in my classroom to record parts of lessons to put on my teacher web page so students will be able to access the lessons if they missed a day of class. Also, if I place the podcasts of my lessons on the internet, students will be able to listen to the lesson multiple times until they understand the material. It will also be useful for my students when they are studying.

One positive about podcasts is that they can be downloaded automatically. Podcasts enable students and teachers to share all kinds of information with anyone at anytime. Podcasts are beneficial in the classroom because some students are audio learners rather than visual learners. This is beneficial when students are viewing a teacher web page so they can study or learn a topic by listening to what is being taught rather than just looking at it. For example, if a student is absent, he or she can download the podcast of a recorded lesson. The only negative that I can think of for using a podcast is that some students may not have a computer or way to access a podcast.

Ethics

Ethics are standards that determine whether an action is good or bad. Ethical behavior on the computer is the same as ethical behavior in general. People who are ethical when they are on the computer do not use their computers to harm other people, to harm other people’s work, or to steal from someone else (this includes stealing passwords or other types of computer work).

When I am a teacher, I will have good ethics when it comes to working with my students and my colleagues. First of all, I will be ethical in my words and actions. I will act ethically with my students and colleagues so that maybe my behaviors will influence them to act ethically. Also, because I will be using technology in my classroom, I will need to teach my students some things about ethics to make sure that they act ethically when working on the internet. I will tell my student not to share passwords with any other students.

Using ethics in the classroom has many pros. Many of the things that are unethical are also illegal. For example, it is both unethical and illegal to use a computer to steal, or to use or copy software that was not paid for. Other things that are also unethical include using the computer to harm other people, to interfere with other people’s computer work, to snoop around others’ files, etc. Having good ethics in the classroom will keep you out of legal trouble. Also, acting ethically will help you feel good about yourself and helps you feel like a better person, so acting ethically is always the best choice.