Media Technology in the Classroom?
Hello Everyone! While this is not my first blog post I will reintroduce myself, my name is McKenna and I am a senior at CSUN; the topic today-- technology in the classroom-- how useful is it actually? Are teachers using it to its full potential? These are both questions that have definitely crossed my mind, and especially as a child of the internet I feel passionately about the relationship between children and the media that they consume and interact with. I do definitely feel as though technology does have a role in the classroom, the use of it should be implemented with intention, not flippantly. As a student, I have witnessed both effective and ineffective uses of technology in the classroom; some teachers use it as a tool with videos, PowerPoints, and games like Kahoot to bounce off of lectures and have students respond to and interact with, while some just utilize it to teach lessons entirely. The latter is an example of an ineffective use; technology is exactly that--a tool, meant to be used in tandem with the lessons that educators have planned. It should not be the lesson entirely. It can be a great tool that can be used to aid in grabbing the attention of students, but this can be a double edged sword because it can also lose the attention of students. Finding the happy medium between media that is both enriching and entertaining can be difficult, but it is how you use the content that matters most. At the end of the day, keeping these things interactive and not just something for students to watch is most effective for use in the classroom environment.
I agree that technology is a tool, and not a substitute for lessons entirely. I worked with a few teachers who used AI to write their lessons plans for them, and the students hated their class. There were other reasons, but they primarily felt like they didn't learn anything in their class and were frustrated by the teacher's lack of interest. I do love a good Kahoot or Blooket for review days before a test!
ReplyDeleteAgain, didn't realize the auto settings were to post comments anonymously, this is me again. Tina Kramer. So sorry.
DeleteHi McKenna, I think what you said about technology being used with intention rather than flippantly is the perfect way to describe the way I feel about technology's role in education. I completely agree about it allowing for classes to be more interactive, like through Kahoot quizzes and PowerPoints, which usually results in students absorbing the material better. For me personally, I know that I definitely am able to retain more information when things are interactive like that or there is some kind of visual aid rather than just lecture. Like you said, there definitely needs to be a middle ground between using technology to completely teach and using it as something that aids the lesson. It's not plausible to use absolutely no technology in a classroom, especially after learning the convenience of it during the pandemic but I do think it's important to moderate its use. I think it also depends on the students and their preferred learning method, which is why it's important to go through a bit of trial and error with using technology in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteHi McKenna!
ReplyDeleteI want to start off by stating how much I love your blog. The style and the title are so unique. I agree with you, I think the Kahoot games that bounce off lectures are extremely helpful! It merges the material that was in the lecture with a sense of fun and community, because in my opinion, there is nothing more fun to do in classroom than to take a Kahoot quiz with your classmates and see everyone's reactions. I think that is really efficient because it builds comfort in the class between students and it encourages even the shy students to become familiar with their environments and not be so afraid to speak out on their thoughts! It is absolutely true that the way instructors use the media technology is important because it can either be enriching or it can be a miss. Great Post! And once again, I love your blog!
Hey McKenna, I like how you switched up the general topic of in the classroom and pointed the spotlight at us educators instead of the students. It honestly wasn't until very recently which I began to understand that teachers can also use AI to help them write assignments or like you said, create Kahoots or powerpoints to help with lecture. That is definitely a big win for technology and a big win for educators!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete