In the video "Top Ten Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom," Jose Picardo discusses ways that teachers can use technology in the classroom in order to enhance students' learning. In this blog post I will discuss Picardo's tips and provide my own opinions of each.
1. Use streaming video. I think this is a very important tool. I can remember in high school how I loved when the teacher would tell us that we were watching a movie or a video for the day. I believe that children are visual learners. If you are in an art class teaching about a dance, why not pull up a youtube video showing the actual dance? This will help students to engage in a particular subject being taught.
2. Use music. Music is a very resourceful tool in the classroom. How many students have you met that can recite word for word every song that is on the radio? This would be great to use as a tool for memorizing certain things, such as numbers or letters. If a student was learning a language such as Spanish, making a catchy song that included the names of each number would help a student to memorize those numbers.
3. Use videoconferencing. Skype and other videoconferencing tools are very new to me, but just in the short amount of time that I have used them, I have fell in love with all the possibilities of it. Teachers can use skype in order to talk to people in other states or countries, who have otherwise might not have been able to visit the classroom as a guest speaker.
4. Make your own interactive exercises. Students of all ages love to play games. Games make learning fun and by incorporating technology into it, you are combining the vest of both worlds.
5. Use interactive whiteboard more effectively. I have just learned to use the Smartboard this year and I think it is one of the coolest things ever. It is amazing how much the Smartboard can do and how it can make learning and teaching so interactive. I will definitely make the most out of my Smartboard if I am lucky enough to have one in my classroom. I am so enthusiastic about it and I know this enthusiasm will trickle down to my future students.
6. Create your own podcasts. We learned about podcasts earlier in the semester and after creating my own, I am more interested in them. I think podcasts are great for teachers to create because it allows children to study at home if teachers make them available online. They are actually able to hear the teacher's voice, and this may help them to gain a better understanding of the material being taught, just as if they were in the classroom.
7. Start a blog. logs are a great way for students and teachers to interact. Students may comment on something a teacher has written and share their ideas.
8. Use social networks. As Picardo stated in the video, social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are very controversial when it comes to educational use, but I believe when used the right way, it can be very beneficial for both teachers and students.
9. Use internet tools. The internet is so broad that there is no limit to what can be done with it. Teachers all over the world use the internet for so many resources in the classroom and it is so helpful in allowing students to research and learn from others across the world.
10. Make the most of your pupils' gadgets. Just about every student in this day and age has a cell phone and an mp3 player. By providing material and lessons that can be viewed on these devices, it allows students to learn on devices that they are already familiar with.
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