Digital technologies are an important aspect of everyday life. I use digital technology when listening to CDs, watching cable television, taping shows using my PVR, surfing the internet, sending email, working on my computer and when using my digital camera and video camera. There are a few digital technologies that I do not use regularly that my students will use often such as blogs and MP3 players.
All of these technologies could be used in multiple areas of the classroom and integrated across the curriculum. Using technology is important to help reach different students with different styles of learning. I like the ideas that were presented in the articles of using photostory to present and create images and display student’s artwork. It could also be effectively used to establish the classroom environment by using photos of the students as a class project. I also like the idea of using photostory to act out a book or story. I am really excited by all the possibilities available to us as teachers to integrate technology into our curriculum. I think it can create exciting hooks and new learning opportunities for the students.
Melanie Kehoe
Prior to being enrolled in this program I had felt quite confident with my technology skills. Just by reading through the articles in hand with being immersed in a technologically enriched program, I’ve found that there are an abundance of technical resources that I didn’t know existed. I’ve come to realize that the realm of technology made available to the millennial children will surpass my ‘comfort zone’. Although I was aware of many of the digital story-telling programs, such as Movie Maker, I hadn’t envisioned the practicality of their use in a common classroom. I do see the potential in incorporating digital photography, movie-making and voice-recording in the area of language arts, as it would make the process of story-telling much richer in context. Being able to guide emotions through music and sound will have a great affect on the audience’s overall experience. The idea of guiding emotions can lend itself to discussion on media literacy, and the impact it has on students. Incorporating facets of digital story-telling will encourage cross-disciplinary integration. Ohler makes mention of the importance of addressing multiple intelligences by saying, “such technologies give voice to a number of otherwise quiet students and to students whose skills don’t fit the usual academic mould”. I wholly agree that by incorporating mediums such as digital-story telling, students will be encouraged to express themselves outside a non-conventional form.
Fathia Nasir
I always felt that I was a technological person, I mean growing up in today’s society, how can one not be? However, since coming into this program, I realized that I was not nearly as “tech savvy” as I thought I was. I’m so excited to be learning all this new technology and use it within a classroom. I feel that we’re being taught how to relate to and excite our students, as the majority of them are more comfortable with computers than we are.
In the world of facebook and MSN, teachers need to try and keep up. We need to interest our students more than these enticing computer programs. Creating interactive lesson plans will help engage our students and will help create and maintain a positive learning environment.
I LOVE the concept of multiple literacies. I remember being bored to death in school. We always did the same thing, no teacher seemed to want to break out of the mould. Introducing different literacies and proving that literacy is not just a pen, paper, and book allows so many different types of learners to excel. I see multiple literacies as a theory that is going to allow teachers to enjoy teaching again, and break out of the “I’m bored with what I’m doing” syndrome. Technology is always changing, and as teachers we can always use that to our advantage to continue redefining the mould.
Leigh Ann Coady
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