What?
Last semester I was in a nine o'clock science class. It was a struggle waking up for a class that early. It was even tougher having to stay awake while my professor fumbled with the computer. He was constantly facing obstacles with technology. He tried to embrace technology by implementing it in the classroom, but it proved to be a hindrance during several class sessions. Sometimes it would take him ten minutes (out of fifty) to get the lecture going. After trial and error, he being better at working the system, but by that time he had lost the respect of several of my peers.
So What?
Why am I talking about this? The purpose of this post isn't to complain about a professor. No, I learned a very valuable lesson through that course of time. If you aren't proficient in technology, it's good to use it in small intervals until you are better. Technology should act an enhancement, not a distraction!
Now What?!
After taking that class, I realized the importance of being proficient at technology, smart board, computer, etc. I realized that by not being equipped with the right skills to use them, they actually take away from a positive learning environment. My hope is that I use it correctly in my classroom, to help engage the students, making it a more interactive classroom environment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWow, I can relate to this post. My worst nightmare is to follow in the footsteps of certain professors who have no idea what they are doing in terms of technology! I, like you, hope to have a positive learning environment in my classroom and am sooo thankful that we get to take a class where we are better equipped to work with technology. I do not know how I would be able to learn all of this new information without practice. Your post has inspired me to practice more, I do have a bit of a ways to go :) ha ha... Thanks!
Hey Sarah!That is such a great example. I have totally had professors that completely let technology control them, and it becomes such a distraction in the classroom. I just wrote a blog post similar to this on how important it is for us as teachers to really familiarize ourselves with technology. For the reasons you talked about, and just as you said, I too hope to be proficient in using technology.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all relate to this scenario! Granted, sometimes technology does end up making things slower rather than providing the efficiency it claims to. BUT, maybe there needs to be a session every semester for professors and students to become familiar with the technology. I could have used it! Also, there is something to be said for arriving early to get things set up.
ReplyDelete