I found some great pictures and ideas current teachers use in their classroom! I thought they were extremely creative and wanted to share their ideas.
This image below is a bulletin board a teacher created. This teacher created this bulletin board for his or her reading and or technology classroom door decor. All of the apps posted on her board are real and support reading and language arts skills and strategies. I felt as though this was a great idea to advertise helpful and useful educational apps that students could use to learn. IREAD!
Another teacher stated that she wanted to bring technology into her classroom and use it within her lessons. She used old iPhones as iPods in the classroom. She sent out a flyer and asked if anyone wanted to donate any old use items that the children could use in class! I also love the station she created and the labeled baskets she used.
One last image I found that I though was extremely creative yet important to have within a classroom when using technology is a list of RULES. These rules are student friendly and show what is expected of the students. Now that technology is becoming a learning tool within classrooms teachers have to reinforce and remind students how to properly use the equipment within the classroom setting. I thought this sign was creative and engaging!
I find myself completely agreeing with your opening paragraph. The apps that support reading and language arts skills and strategies are extremely helpful for educating students (and ourselves)! I personally believe the ability to read fluently and coherently put thoughts together on paper is a crucial skill in today’s world. Although use of technology is consistently growing in significance, I do not think it can replace the value of being a capable reader or having the tools to express yourself on paper, word-processors, etc. However, incorporating technology into the classroom is an innovative, attention grabbing method to encourage students’ in the skill sets of reading and other language arts skills. . Becoming fluent readers contributes to success in other subjects such as social studies and provides for a better comprehension of information. It is much more fun to learn when you are not stumbling over words and can rather focus on the learning expected.
ReplyDeleteYour image of the teacher’s display for the apps on her door serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it portrays technology in an inviting and less scary way. Students may not necessarily be familiar with iPhones, iPads or other devices similar to these due to socioeconomic status and other factors, but the full length display of colorful apps to choose from demonstrates that the apps are student-friendly and trusted enough by the classroom teacher to foster encouragement of their use. Secondly, displaying the various apps gives students a sense of familiarity with the choices they will be faced with when using the device. It can be overwhelming to have twenty+ possibilities to use and becoming familiar with the door display may eliminate some anxiety for those students who feel overwhelmed by too many choices. Thirdly, there is so much variety, a student is bound to find an educational app that not only helps that student learn but helps him or her have fun while learning. Finally, the announcement of “iRead” at the top signals to students that they will be encouraged to use technology in their quests in literacy.
The display of rules is perhaps my favorite image you provided! It connects familiar images of technology to classroom rules, bridging the gap between free time electronic use and using electronics for furthering education. Your examples of this teacher’s ideas have made me want to incorporate similar methods into my future classrooms to as much extent possible. I am hoping that students will still have excitement over such items as iPads, iPods, etc. once they become more common in their daily lives, whether it be from becoming less costly or having unlimited access at home.
Going to a private college as we do, it is easy to take the availability of technology for granted. Some schools are located in areas that unfortunately have little to no internet access which contributes to a decreased performance compared to less rural areas around the country. The following URL will bring you to an interesting article about the gap in education for rural schools.
http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2011/11/22/rural-students-lost-in-connectivity-gap?page=2