Objective 3.3: Information Technology
Indicator: Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of current
and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate,
and use information resources to support research,
learning creating, and communicating in a digital society.
Twitter, iPads, cell phones, wireless, Facebook. One can’t get through the day without hearing, using, or seeing one of these items. Let’s face it, we are living in a digital world; a world that changes so quickly that it is often hard to keep up. With all of the technology that is available for our classrooms, it is crucial that we integrate such resources into our schools. Today’s students are digital
learners; thus we must use the very technology that surrounds them to engage
and motivate them in school.
Taking part in McDaniel College’s School Librarianship program has allowed me to experience technology resources that I did not even know existed. Now that I have become a user of these resources, I cannot imagine why they are not integrated into classrooms throughout our schools. As a librarian, I want to be known as a ‘technology guru’. However, knowing the technologies is not enough; I must educate staff members about such resources as well as assist in inserting them into lessons. In order to showcase how technology can be used to support students when seeking information, I created a presentation infusing several technologies into the English 9 research unit. I highlighted tools that teachers may know of, such as GoogleDocs, but also those that will challenge them to expand their knowledge base, such as Diigo and Pageflakes. For each technology, I created a sample activity that tied directly to objectives within the research unit. By modeling how the resources can be tailored to fit any curricular subject, teachers can feel confident to introduce technology into their classrooms.
Being a classroom teacher has made me aware that locating information for research purposes can be a difficult task for students to complete. Many times, students associate research, or any information gathering activity, with being bored by the subject matter or tiresome process. How can we expect our learners, who use technology on a daily basis, to be engaged by assignments that do not tap into this part of their lifestyle? We must find a way to make learning fun again, and using technology resources is the best way to do so. Instead of having our students highlight on a packet, why not annotate and collect source information digitally by using Diigo? Why have students print out drafts and exchange with a peer when they can create, collaborate, and revise by using GoogleDocs? My questions are not meant to force teachers to change what they teach—I am instead suggesting that we change the way we teach. If we use technology to capture our students’ interest, we have a far better chance of motivating them to reach success in mastering the material. In this digital age, we must recognize that our learners are different than those of years past. Their constant stimulation from technology must transcend the boundaries of school and become an essential part of our classrooms. By incorporating technology into our schools, we encourage our students to be more ‘hands on’ with their learning; an experience that they will ultimately find memorable and worthwhile. |
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