Developing a unit for teaching is no easy task as one has to carefully plan out what will be most important to teach the students. We plan backwards starting with the assessment so we can teach to that and be able to focus on the most important points from the core standards. But, to effectively teach, we have to enrich our lessons, within that unit, with appropriate technology that will help students gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.
When we plan the unit at the same time that we choose the technology for it, we are ensuring that the tech implementations are the best ones for teaching that particular content. When we do not plan the unit/lessons while also thinking of the tech to utilize we are most likely preparing for chaos to occur within our classrooms and for lack of learning.
Therefore, I will ensure that as I plan my unit, I will also keep in mind to find the best technological applications that will serve my students best when learning all about the unit at hand. Learning happens best when these two go hand in hand.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Curriculum 21 Take aways
After my classmates presented the information in chapters 5-12 of the Curriculum 21 book, I have come to cherish even more what technology can do for all of us as teachers and students. There are no boundaries that are not able to be overcome with technology. Every presentation emphasized, however, that technology must be used appropriately for it to render its amazing results. We the teachers, need to help our students understand that there is more to technology than simple media usage. That being stated, I still wonder what would be age appropriate activities to engage students in discovering how to use the technological devices and applications the right way. I think that once this is figured out, teaching the students to remember to use it appropriately would go smoother.
It has finally become clear to me that with technology students can become globally aware as we are becoming more globalized every second of our lives. However, our students seem to think that all that exists is their city and sometimes their state. They have not realized that different cultures surround us and that they all play a part in who we are as Americans. That being said, I want to expose my students to other cultures through more technology integration in my classroom. I am going to format my curriculum so that students can learn about other cultures and how those affect them daily. I am in the process of exploring the best apps to help my students meet the goal of globalizing right from our own classroom.
I believe that technology integration is what will keep our nation afloat as everyone will be more globalized and better connected to each other.