Advantages and Disadvantages
Technology tools
are abundant and we have to figure out how they work and what will work best in
a teaching environment. The Advantages. The more students read, the better
developed their language and writing skills become,” (Roblyer
& Doering, 2013, p. 271). It provides countless programs that teach
phonics, letter and word recognition, (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 272).
With apps on I-phones, I-pads, computers and other hand held devices these
skills now can be practiced anywhere and anytime. Through technology students’
comprehension skills can quickly be assessed with engaged reading and
interactive stories and books. Writing
is more popular with outlets like blogging, social media and twitter and it has
given many students more confidence in expressing their thoughts on paper or a
screen. They are now sharing with their
peers in their classrooms and around the world.
There are
challenges for English and Language Arts teachers, (Roblyer & Doering,
2013, p. 266). The Disadvantages for teachers can be defining literacy today and help
students to adapt to all the new ways we read and write, (Roblyer &
Doering, 2013, p. 268). Language Arts and English teachers are responsible for
making sure students are fluent in these new communication skills. There are debates of what is lost thru
technology, including cursive writing vs. word processing, (Roblyer &
Doering, 2013, p. 272). The dangers are
on teachers’ minds of how much screen time is too much and what is
being lost with it, or if conversation skills and how to interact with people
face to face are in jeopardy.
Technology Products
“Information now comes to
students via email and ebooks: web pages and podcasts: blogs, vlogs and wikis:
instant messages and twitter feeds; and movies and streaming videos,” states Roblyer & Doering, (2013, p. 268).
The Blog – What began as a way to journal has become a place where
students have open discussions and give opinions on topics, (Roblyer &
Doering, 2013, p. 268). Providing a creative
outlet and a place to free write their thoughts and ideas. Teachers can use this tool in lesson plans to
give assignments, get feedback, check progress and assignments. Writing is an
important skill and a few websites that encourage writing either in a blog or
other format and publishing it are Bookworm :http://www.bookworm-mag.comand
Writekids: http//writekids.tripod.com The Wiki, I have learned is a wonderful way to group resources and information
in one place for students. It can be
used for individual projects or for a class as a whole. It encourages collaboration and communication
between students and the teacher and can be added to on a regular basis by
both, (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 269). I think this is a very inclusive
way to teach a topic and can easily see how it would be a top pick for a
classroom. Technology is here to stay so
as teachers it is our job to find what works best and teach these skills to our
students.
Roblyer, M.D., &
Doering, Aaron H. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching (6th
ed.).
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, INC.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, INC.
Jill,
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology, especially social media and blogs, allow students to express themselves in ways we never could in school. It is definitely the future and is a GREAT way to get kids to write. If only they would incorporate the mechanics of standard English rather than writing in acronyms, slang, and/or code :-)
Jill,
ReplyDeleteI agree that wikis are very useful for the classroom. At first, I found creating a wiki very aggravating, but now that I have completed one, I could definitely see using it in my own classroom! Also, you made some good points about "disadvantages" of technology. I find the cursive debate interesting because I cannot imagine my kids not learning to write in cursive - it just seems like such a basic skill, even if people don't use it much anymore! Nice post!
I do love how technology can bring books to us all the time. I love when the kids I babysit whip out their iPads to READ and not to just play games or waste time- and it happens a LOT.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all agree that the Wiki project was a labor of love- once you get the hang of it, it actually seems worthwhile. I do wonder how hard it is for students to use though... we shall see!
I definitely think you are right about needing to find a balance between screen time and real life. Over the course of the semester i feel that this course has pushed my previously made balance over the edge and i have been doing fewer productive things. It doesn't feel good to overdo screen time and children may just assume that they are supposed to feel that too much screen time blah feeling all the time. Its our job to set boundaries and provide real life activities for students as well as teach them the uses of tech tools.
ReplyDelete