Interactive Whiteboards Article

In reading Nancy Knowlton's article, Interactive Whiteboard Research Shows, I have learned the positive influence of interactive whiteboards in the classroom. Research shows that students are more engaged in classrooms with interactive whiteboards and enjoy the lessons more. The attendance has also increased in these same classrooms.

Most students today are visual learners, so interactive whiteboards accommodate their learning preferences very well. Because interactive whiteboards create a more fun and engaging learning environment, students are more intrinsically motivated, which at the end of the day is the most crucial thing a student can possess.

To read Interactive Whiteboard Research Shows by Nancy Knowlton, click on the link below. You will find the article in the 2008 list.
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-US/News+and+research/Articles+by+the+CEO.htm

Beginning of Semester Reflection

After only the second week of our Technology in Education class I feel as though I have been immersed into this whole new realm of education. I feel as though my eyes have been opened to a whole other culture, one that I definitely underestimated.
I grew up in a rural town with a school district that did not have the budget to get a hold of new and expensive resources. So basically I have never really had much exposure to technology beyond my facebook on my laptop. Blogging, the endless amount of search engines, and SMART boards are completely over my head at this point, but it has been fun to explore this new world of technology. Especially in looking at how technology is available to the education field, it is exciting to see how the possibilities for its usage are endless!
There is one main thing that I have come to realize in this past week, and I am finally being able to let go of my own personal bias. My view of the use of technology in schools has always been a little hesitant, mainly because I had such a positive and successful experience without it. I believe children still need to learn how to do things the "old fashion" way and not to rely on computers, phones, and ipods for entertainment. But just as Landon Carter from A Walk To Remember used basketball to teach a student geometry, we can use technology as a means to teach our students. As a teacher it is important for me to realize that technology is what my students enjoy, it is a language that they speak, a culture that they are a part of. So I need to take advantage of that and use technology as a way to reach out to my students. It is important for me to be able to understand what my students like and what works well for them, and in this generation and all those to come, technology is something that most students will work very well with.
I believe in creating the perfect balance between technology and the absence of technology in the classroom. I want it to be there to provide fun new ways for learning. I want it to be able to allow students to advance their research and to discover more. Technology should engage students. But at the same time I still want students to be able to think for themselves, to be able to appreciate activities using raw materials, and to be creative without the help of technology.
I think technology can play a big role in the classroom, but only if it helps further students in their education. It must not be a distraction or a hindrance.

Turning on the Lights

I never thought of school as a period of enlightenment, but it is so true, it is a time that truly empowers us to explore the world and it opens us up to an endless supply of opportunities.

On the subject of “powering down” in school, I have to agree with that concept because I believe it is important to rely on your own skills and still learn ways to learn without all the new technology. I think cell phones, ipods, and the open internet are mostly a distraction to students at school. Although I believe technology can be used in fun and academic ways for student learning, I do not believe that the lack of it in schools is what is causing “boredom”. Whether students are having fun at school or not I believe depends mostly on the style and lessons plans of the teacher.

I really like the four points at the end of the article regarding “How to Turn on the Lights”. I agree strongly with them.

How I Decided To Become A Teacher

When I graduated from high school I was excited that I would never have to step foot in a high school again. Now, three years later, I cannot wait to go back. I came to Northwest University as a Psychology Major. I had dreams of being a psychologist for teenagers, to counsel them through their challenging years. But I quickly discovered that I did not really care for the subject of psychology and found no passion in it. Becoming a teacher was always in the back of my mind, but I really was not sure about it. But the more I thought about it, the more excited I became. I've always had a passion for helping young people, and I knew I wanted to be in a profession where I could be around them constantly, so what better way to positively influence a teenager than to be their teacher.
Although I personally did not enjoy high school, I love that age group, and so I am excited to go back as a teacher and provide students with fun opportunities that I missed out on when I was a student. I am very passionate about other cultures and I love meeting people from all over the world. I have been studying the Spanish language since I was fourteen years old and I am completely in love with it! So I would love to be a high school ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher and a Spanish teacher.