Successful Uses of Technology in the Classroom..

       In my previous post, I discussed the importance of digital immigrants teaching digital natives. In this post I will be discussing successful uses of technology in the classroom. All of these uses of technology and way digital immigrants can incorporate technology into the classroom.

      There are many successful uses of technology in the classroom, and as educators we can not just use technology to use it. We need to incorporate the technology so that students are highly engaged and understanding the concepts being covered. We need to understand not only the information that is being presented but also the form that it is being presented in. We need to be able to manipulate the technology and troubleshoot any problem that arise with the technology. 

      I recently read an article titled, "12 Easy Way to Use Technology in Your Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers." The article listed of many activities that range in difficulty from beginner techies to the more advanced techie. Some of the activities discussed in the article included creating a game show review, a webquest, a class website, doing an email exchange or a discussion board, creating a powerpoint or a video, and creating a podcast.

      One great way to incorporate technology into a classroom that was discussed in the article would be to have students create a video presentation showing step-by-step the process of an advanced or more difficult problem. For example, in a high school math course you could have students make presentations or videos at the completion of a chapter or unit for a review activity. Each video could cover a different topic from the chapter.  One video could have students finding the vertex of a quadratic function by completing the square. They could show step by step, with directions, how to complete the problem.  They could come up with real-world examples that help relate the problem to the course. Then, once the videos are complete, students could share there videos with the rest of the class to help everyone review. This would not only get students using technology, but they would be incorporating mathematics skills into the activity. 

      Look for my next post, where I discuss positive effects of technology in the classroom. So, not only are there many different ways to use technology in the classroom, but these methods have been proven to be successful!