It's OVER?

Well, my Technology in the Classroom course has come to an end. I have learned so much about the use of technology in the past six weeks. After studying the different ways technology can be used in the classroom, I have come to really appreciate it. For example, when learning about the provinces, students can go on google earth and view the different cities throughout Canada. Of course we do not have the money or resources to travel all over the country, but with technology we are able to get an accurate and real-to-life picture of the different parts of our vast country. I have also found out that technology helps with differentiated learning and with collaboration with people all around the world. Technology has so much to offer us as educators. Personally, I am going to use it whenever applicable because I truly believe that it does help the children in their learning. It not only helps them to learn, but helps them to learn well and creatively. My title ask's "It's OVER?" Well, the answer is no, no it is not. Finishing this course is just the start for me. I want to continue to learn more about how to use technology better and will try to stay as up-to-date as I can. If you have not delved into thinking about the use of technology in your classroom I ask you to do some research. If you are already using it, I ask that you use it wisely. Use it to benefit your students and the material they are learning. Technology is a gift that has been given to us. We should use it, and use it wisely!

Let's Work Towards a Change in Education..

Lately I have been thinking a lot about creativity in the classroom. Are we, as teachers, allowing our students to be creative? Why don't we go focus more on the arts? Why is it that math and science are most important? So many of these type of questions run throughout my brain. 

According to Ken Robinson, the purpose of the education system is to "produce university professors." But is this the way it should be? I don't think so. Thankfully, I see that the school system is changing. Teaching is becoming more directed towards the individual students and focusing on their strengths as well as working with their weaknesses. We need to find a way to make education work for everyone, not just the students that are smart academically. It shouldn't be a hierarchy, where the most useful subjects are at the top and the more "fun" ones are at the bottom. Rather, everyone should be encouraged to follow their dreams and gifts. The teachers job is to help the student realize these gifts and help encourage them to use them. I believe that there is not one profession that stands out over another. Life should not be about doing things you don't want to do. We need to make education fun and worthwhile for the children otherwise we are wasting thirteen years of their lives. Fellow teachers, let's work towards this change. We need to rethink our view of intelligence. Art matters just as much as Math and Science.

I encourage you to check out this TEDTalk for more details. 

Technology & Self-Directed Learning...

I just finished watching a Ted Talk on Self-Directed Learning. Sugata Mitra has done many studies all over the world, especially in remote schools finding out how beneficial the use of technology is in learning. He proved that it really does help and that the children are able to learn through hearing from different people around the world, via skype, and information found on the internet. As he spoke about using technology in Self-Directed Learning, I got really excited because he said that after the students were done the project, they still wanted to keep learning about the specific topic. I also like how he set up the self-directed learning stations, having enough room for the students to work in groups. Again, this is another example of how technology incites excitement and creativity within the child and gives them more of a desire to learn. Click here to watch the video!