The Importance of Technology in the Classroom

I believe that using technology in the classroom has become something that is not optional. It is a must have in the classroom because it teaches children to become a part of today’s society. When children are able to use technology in the classroom, it also makes lessons more fun which then makes it easier for children to learn. I believe that technology also benefits teachers because many programs found on a computer make it easy to stay organized and track the progress of all students, for example: Excel. Teachers can spend less time reinventing the wheel and put more energy into focusing on student progress.
The challenges that come with incorporating technology into the classroom are definitely not nonexistent. Many teachers still stand firm in the old ways of teaching and believe that using technology is more of a distraction that it is a benefit. Sadly, many school districts do not always have the money that they need to afford computers, cameras, GPS systems, smart boards, etc. Another challenge becomes knowing how to use the technology that you are given. In order to teach a lesson using a piece of technology first the educator needs to be somewhat skilled in using it. Some people teachers and students alike have a more difficult time using technology than others do.
From this class, I have definitely learned that there are a lot more pieces of technology out there than I thought. I will definitely use the smart board applications that we have been taught (provided my school district has them). I really enjoyed learning about excel because I know that with my organizational habits it will definitely be a very useful tool for keeping me in line. There are so many websites that I have now discovered from class and my completion of the social bookmarking project! It has shown me how to use technology in a different light. And of course, teaching my students how to blog will definitely come in handy!

Copyright Basics

After we discussed the issue of copyright, I found that there was not one, single, specific issue that surprised me. The most surprising to me was definitely the fact that there are so many "if" clauses to the entire process. There seem to be so many little exceptions to the rules of copyright that it is like walking on egg shells. While I do not have any teachers that I have ever witnessed breaking copyright rules, I do feel that if they had broken any rules, they might have been completely unaware that they were committing any sort of crime.
I absolutely think it is the teacher's responsiblity to teach the students about copyright laws. Plagarism is a key word that they are going to have to be well aware of as they get older and copyright falls directly into that category as well. I believe that understanding copyright laws falls under the subject of citizenship. By showing children how to give proper credit where proper credit is due, they will learn to respect the hard work and effort of people throughout their community and world. It is important that the educator is well versed in copyright laws because the students need to be taught accurate information. If you have a teacher who knows nothing at all about copyright laws and they try to teach students about them, it will just lead to another confused generation of people.
As an educator, I will definitely try to use the correct rules in my classroom. I might do things such as contacting a website owner before I use the materials on their sight and making sure that if I need to photocopy pages for students, those pages do not come directly out of a workbook.

Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom

I believe that interactive whiteboards give children a hands on opportunity to learn. Children learn best when they are actively included in the process. By allowing them to experience using a whiteboard, students can also understand the technology of our world and today's society. It is important that they become active members of the technological community because their generation will be the most impacted by it.
Learning how to use the technology was dfficult for me to learn at first because there were so many options. However, once I got the hang of using the different applications, using the smartboard actually became fun.
One of the benefits of having an interactive whiteboard in the classroom is that there is no more wasting of paper. You can save the application and use it as many times as you want. It is a major time saver for an educator because once it is saved, it is always ready to go. The downside of using a smartboard is that it needs to be oriented before it is used. If someone bumps into it, the alignment will have to be done all over again. For educators who may not be as technologically advanced as others, the software can easily become a frustration. It is also important to know where a smartboard will be placed in the classroom before it is installed. Depending on the age of the children, the board may need to be placed at a particular height in order to be reached.
A lesson plan that I have written in the past included learning the physical anatomy of a horse. In the lesson, each child was given a worksheet and asked to label the parts of a horse. I could definitely use a smartboard for this activity because children could label the parts of a horse by writing on the smartboard. The might also be able to put together puzzle pieces that come together to form a picture of a horse.
Interactive whiteboards are essential within the classroom environment because they create maximum student interaction and participation. They allow children to enjoy learning through technology.