This video will seal the deal! Ignore the overly dramatic music. Just read the stats about youth and technology, as well as the ideas for how to incorporate podcasts, ipods, and cellphones into your lessons!
Thanks Busy Teacher Cafe for sharing this on your blog!
Anna
Literacy is Priceless 
Very cool and interesting video. I agree the music was a little bit over dramatic, but I’d rather listen to that then some sort of awkard happy music playing in the background. I think there is only one section of the video I disagree with and that would be the part when the video describes how cell phones could be used in the classroom. I see the point they are trying to make, but I know even now many students end up getting off topic when simply using a computer lab to do research for a class project. I think the encouraged use of cell phones in classrooms would lead to an out of control environment where students would spend more time doing the own thing with the phone rather than work on an assignment. Overall though I agree that there is still a lot to be done with respect to integrating technology in the classroom.
This video sure gets your mind thinking about different ways you can use technology in your classroom. So many times I am playing police officer with my students and their cell phones or iPods. Why should I continue to stress myself out over students having technology tools in the classroom that could be a valuable part of my lesson? As you have said, I need to start thinking of ways I can use them in class and then they won’t seem to be such a problem. I teach math and the first way of using the cell phone in class that came to mind was using the calculator. I could also use the cell phone to look up stats that we could use to make graphs or calculate the central tendencies. I am currently enrolled in a graduate program emphasizing in technology and I am very excited about all the new ideas and tools I am learning about. I hope that I can turn the “negative behaviors” into positive learning experiences by incorporating the technology students have at hand.
Technology is playing a large role in our world. As a fourth grade teacher, I am seeing how technology is extremely important in the lives of my students. In order to reach the needs of my learners, I need to make sure that I am up to date on how to intergrate technology into my classroom. The movie allowed me to realize that not only using computers, but also iPods for example are a good tool my students can use. For I know they already use them on a daily basis in their lives outside of school!
Thank you so much for your insight and ideas!
Elizabeth
Very interesting video , nowadays we must use technology in learing inside and outside the classrooms for my students , I hope that I can apply every thing i tough in mag technology workshops . thanks alot anna
Great video to get teachers thinking about what our role as educators has become in this digital age. I’d like to think that I do a fairly good job at incorporating many of the technological tools available to make my curriculum more engaging and meaningful, but I know there is still more that I could be doing. I do allow students to have iPods in class and encourage them to download songs in Spanish (I’m a Spanish teacher) that I have posted for them online. They are also allowed to listen to music in class during independent work. I would love to take advantage of the podcasting thought, which is not new to me, but one that I have never fully explored. As another person already commented, I do not know how comfortable I feel with utilizing cell phones in class. I’m not saying I’m opposed to the idea – my school has been discussing the use of cell phones in the classroom for about 2 years now – but I still haven’t thought of a great way to meet my objectives with them. And, as the video suggested, if I gave the students an “assignment” to see how fast they could receive a text message from someone, what would I do with the students who didn’t have their cell phone with them during that class? (I know what you’re thinking – of course they would have their cell phone! – but that is not always the case, just as there are still students who do not have an iPod). Overall, I enjoyed the video and completely agree with its ideas. I will be sharing this video with my grad class instructor!
Wow! What a thought provoking video. It really got me thinking about how technology can be used in the classroom. I learned many different forms of technology that can be used in the classroom. However, my question is, can someone give me some examples as to when they used an ipod, podcast, or cell phone to teach a lesson that coorelated with the curriculum that needs to be taught? I’m all for trying new things but I do have to stick with teaching the curriculum, but it does not have to be boring for my students.
Very interesting video clip, those statistics are an overwhelming way to prove your point. Technology has become such an important part of every aspect of our lives that it needs to have a place in our schools. Our most important job as teachers is to prepare these kids for the challenges they will face outside of our classroom walls and that means making them more technologically advanced. Many of these kids see computers, i-pods and other gadgets as toys, the fact that they can be used as learning devices is a huge advantage to us as teachers. Kids love having the opportunity to use the instruments in class because it makes learning fun. The real challenge to us as teachers is to make sure that these tools are being used to meet our goals and objectives and not only as something that is fun and new. As this wave of technological advances continues to rise we need to make sure that our students are not left behind.
Sometimes it’s really that simple, isn’t it? I feel a little stupid for not thinking of this myself/earlier, though.
That is a great video! I am currently in a masters program that focuses on technolgy and literacy. I use a classroom blog to promote reading and writing in the content area. This is only the second year I have had a classroom web page and utilized a blog. I can already see the difference. My students were asking about the web page at the beginning of the year. They had heard from other students that it was neat. The trick I found is to constantloy update your web page. The old “if you build it, they will come” idea. Without constant updates the students grow tired and stop checking in. At first it was a lot of work, but now it is making my life as a teacher easier. It definitely helps students and parents. I am hoping to incorprate more ideas in the way of technology in the future. It is a learning process for all of us, but with out the use of technology in the classroom we are doing our students a disservice.
Thanks Chad! I’d love to see your classroom blog if it is open to the public!
What a thoughtful comment! Best of luck with your MA program and keep up the excellent work!
Anna
the link to my classroom is
http://us–wy-government-a-hath-5a.central.laramie1.org/modules/groups/integrated_home.phtml?gid=1183767&sessionid=6507fbec55462bd1d4608cc4f149ce48
Nice to see such active discussion boards!
Hmm, the video seems to have been removed. 😦