Assignment #1

We are fortunate to be teachers in a time where we have resources and information that come as quickly as we can type. Technology has been and continues to change our world and the way people learn. It is essential that we use the various resources that are now available for us. Technology such as the internet not only makes information accessible from anywhere in the world but it can provide ways for learning to be interactive. Online resources for the smart board are a great example of what can make a classroom not just a place of learning but an experience. I feel it is greatly important to make various forms of technology an everyday aspect of a classroom. I know that as I plan and prepare my future classroom I find ways of incorporating these tools to take my classroom to the next level.
Online I found an incredible example of how technology can greatly enhance learning. The article “Fourth-Graders Search for the Underground Railroad” shows how students can become part of history rather than being passive learners. After the students have been taught about New York’s history in the Underground Railroad and what slavery was like in the United States, they begin a project where they are able to be researchers and make a personal connection to history. The first step for them is to research their family, friends, or neighbor’s genealogies to find someone that would have been connected to the Underground Railroad. After working with that the students have a video conference where they interview someone from the Ohio Historical Center about a runaway slave. The next step they do is to research a local African American Slave Cemetery online to find out information about the site, then they go on a trip there to record names and take rubbings of the tombstones. After all of these steps the students write an essay about who these people were and why they are connected to their lives.
I was very excited when I discovered this article. I gave me many ideas of how I can make my classroom interactive with technology. I love that the students were active in the learning process and made history alive and relevant for them today. Technology was an essential part of making this project exciting and interactive. Having them work and research on a computer teaches them how to be life long learners who will take the initiative in getting the information they need. Setting up video conference is a fun way for the students to talk with an expert and get a different form of information. This also helped the students learn how to ask questions and properly interview someone. I cannot wait to have my own classroom and provide my students with an exciting learning experience.
Here is the link to this great resource:
Fourth-Graders Search for the Underground Railroad
My thoughts on NETS standard for teachers and students…
I am thankful that there are guidelines and a standard for teaching technology. It would be very difficult for me if I did not have any direction or idea on how I should teach technology to my students. I also think that it is important to provide all students with the same level of instruction. I feel it is essential as well to not only teach our students how to use various resources but also how not to abuse these resources. Having the guidelines for showing them digital citizenship and responsibility is very important, and this can be a great launching point to teach integrity on a variety of levels. And the best aspect of these standards is that they expect continued growth. Technology is always changing and as teachers we must always learn and adapt to what is new and help our students do the same.