Day 5

Today we spent the class learning to use smartboards and eventually playing with them. I'll be the first to admit that they're fun and cool but I still feel that in the end, you pay 3-5 thousand dollars for what is essentially a power point projector and a whiteboard. I struggled hard to develop a lesson for chemistry in which the smartboard would really help and even be integral to. I came up with something that seems forced. I would much rather be using a whiteboard and my own demonstrations. It's not as though chemists come up short on those. Between small explosions, light effects, feeling the heat or cold, seeing the gas or the color. A smart board just doesn't do it justice.

Perhaps they will be more useful when the cost decreases and teachers are not forced into using them and they can be an aside. Much like the projector is today.

Day 4

Today we learned about several online resources for teachers. Some more useful than others. Because of the fact that we have several disciplines in the class, we had a much more broad overview rather than a deep, targeted one. Which was unfortunate, because the science resource did have a few goodies I took note of. Most notably, the ideas for labs.

Some of the resources for other disciplines seemed worthwhile but again, the class was far too broad and not deep enough.

I think the internet is a great resource for teachers helping other teachers. Until now, we've just been learning about different projects students can undertake with technology and spent little time on how teachers themselves can learn. These resources were a breath of fresh air, albeit one that was too short.

Computers in the Classroom day 3

Another slow day. We learned how to use a program called audacity today which seemed like a more clunky version of programs like garage band. The activity was to create a podcast of someone during the California gold rush. I didn't learn anything about the gold rush from it though so I don't think it worked too well. The class is starting to seem like it just wants to force all the new technology down our throats.

We also need to find some information about smartboards. I've seen the smartboards used. I don't see too much need for them. I'm a big fan of a good whiteboard and some colored markers. I've seen one teacher use a smartboard during my fieldwork and it just seemed too clunky and bothersome to use instead of a white board and projector. There really wasn't anything "smart" about it.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology. I've got an integral table on my iphone (or I would if I had an iphone). But still, sometimes all you need to get your point across is a simple board, some colors and a good teacher. And all the smartboards in the world couldn't replace that.

Computers in the Classroom Day 2

Day two left me a little less enthusiastic than day 1. We spent too much time in the beginning of class fighting with technology instead of using it when trying to make these cards. I'm not entirely sure what the cards were for or how to use them in a class. I think it may have just been easier to make the cards by hand instead of by mouse.

We eventually moved on to talking about podcasts. I've listened to a few but am not too hip to them. I'm not sure what I think about using them in the high school setting. I feel like they may be more trouble than they're worth, to be honest. We were broken up into groups based on our concentration area and given the task of coming up with ideas for a multidimensional podcast. My partner and I chose to do ours on logarithms.