Digital Blog Post B

Credit to Escolaespai on Pixabay

In chapter two, I read 'Teacher-Centered and Student-Centered Approaches', the author mentions to different ways to run a classroom. In the "teacher-centered" approach, lots of kids feel like they don't really get to interact, as if it's already planned and they just have to do the work, which is exactly what a teacher-centered approach is. Reading this section of the chapter made me think back to when I teach and I could see exactly what this author is talking about. If we incorporated more technology in classrooms and allowed the children to use it, it wouldn't be so "routine" and "fixed". In a "student-centered approach",  a teacher could "create" a situation and make it relatable to the students instead of just asking the question. That way, students can relate this question to a real life situation instead of sitting there, possibly clueless to exactly what the teacher is asking. A teachers suppose to teach in the most effective way that they possibly can to make sure the students understand what is being taught and if we take a different approach like the "student-centered way", it may make it easier on students who may be having trouble.

The next section I read was 'Active Methods to Engage Students'. The four different methods that were mentioned were one on one tutoring, learning groups, inquiry learning, and metacognitive learning. All four methods which are used in classrooms. The method I believe would be more effective to students would be "learning groups". In this method, students have the chance to work together to answer or do the assignment at task. They have the chance to interact with their peers and brainstorm together to get the work done. As to "inquiry learning", where a student works by themselves, but also have access to the internet to help collect data or do research.

In the last section called 'Visual Learning Using Technology', they mention all the pros to having computers in classrooms. Some students are more visual learners than others and by having technology in classes, it helps those who are. They can youtube videos for projects or look up graphs for a research project on Google. Compared to the older days when computers weren't around, students and teachers were limited to what they had in classes. They only had paper copies or books of pictures to be the "visual" part of it for what they were learning. But now, you can go online and search and you'll get millions of results.

 

In conclusion, having technology is something that's inevitable. Teachers and students still have learning to do with technology now that it's being used more in classes, all over the world. But also, technology has come a long way and it can only be used to our advantage so take the chance now to teach the younger students how to use it correctly and show them all the useful tools that they offer.

Resources

• Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc
• PVTV Passiac Valley High School. (2011, Nov 16). Technology in the Classroom: Then and Now.mov. Retrieved September 12, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIAEuQwMf2Q.