Chapter 2

Developing Lessons and Engaging Students: technology is used in almost every classroom these days. Teachers are raising the use of smart phones as a classroom tool. The use of other technologies and digital forums is also on a rise. Teachers have noticed blank and bored faces through many lessons and have come to realize that using technology as a learning tool has raised the amount of interest in class activities. Two- thirds of students report feeling bored every day. Also more than half of high school students feel what they learn isn’t helpful to them outside school. Integrating different types of technology keeps the students more interested and can help with dropout rates. Students found the most boring activity to be teacher lecture and the best activity to be discussion/debate and group projects.

Critics of Technology in Schools: There are still many teachers out there who don’t necessarily believe that technology is helpful in learning they believe it is over rated and under used. They believe activities such as drill and practice worksheets create a better alternative for students. Some think that computer usage puts a negative effect on the student’s brain. Also many parents have said they think their children already spend enough time with technology and that they don’t need to add more at school.

Your Teaching Philosophy: every teacher is different and therefore teach differently from others. Some are teacher-centered educators where they are more formal and use test scores to determine who has learned and who has not. There are also student-centered educators who believe in different experiences and keeping the students interested in the lessons and keeping their individual needs in mind.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.