I really enjoyed watching the video Engage Me or Enrage Me. It made me think about how important engagement is with my students. My students have grown up in a video world and a place that computers are commonplace. My main goal is to teach my students, but to reach all of them, I must make it interesting. I wish we had more technology available for daily use, but unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about that. I want to incorporate more digital photos and powerpoint presentations that make the information more relevant.
I have used jeopardy style questioning before in class and the students loved it. I often try to find interactive quizzes that the students can answer and try to beat the computer. This does seem to have more effect than general lecture. I hope we are allowed to use cell phones next year so that the students may use the internet to aid in their learning. I know that I will have to teach appropriate behavior of cell phone use, but I believe that will be a battle worth fighting. I loved how Mr. Prensky stressed that students can teach me the new technology rather than me trying to learn it to teach them. It empowers the students to teach the teacher. I am excited to be a 21st Century teacher.
Mrs. Davis (8th grade pre-algebra) does a great job of making PowerPoints that illustrate math concepts and relate them to daily life. I always liked using her materials, and I think they do keep students better engaged.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of using personal electronic devices interests me as well, but a clear policy on acceptable use with consequences for violations emphasized is vital. I thought about using them as well as a free set of classroom response systems. You should check out polleverywhere.com. Last time I checked, they had a free version for educators.