Media in my Classroom

The use of technology in the classroom is something in which most people have come to expect large growth and significant development with each passing year. Technology changes and improves so quickly these days that many schools and teachers find it difficult to keep up with the newest technological trends and gadgets. According to Howard Pitler in the article So Many Devices, So Little Use, a study was conducted in which observers went into classrooms nation-wide to observe the use of technology in classrooms, and it was reported that 63% of all the observed classrooms used no technology at all. With all that is available to teachers to enhance learning and cut overall costs through the use of technology, these results are shocking, to say the least. Even in the elementary classroom, technology can be extremely useful and helpful in the learning process. An article by Peter Levy titled Putting the iPad to Work in Elementary Classrooms shows how the iPad can be an unbelievably effective learning tool for kids of all levels. Not only are there hundreds of apps available that allow your child to use their creativity and critical thinking skills in ways that many of us could not even dream of when we were in elementary school. Another great use for the iPad in a classroom is as a textbook alternative. Kids can use the iPad to create their own online books, and teachers can publish test scores, artwork, and other classroom work online for parents to see before they are sent home with the student. They are a great tool for kids, because they can have access to great learning material, but, unlike a computer, it is easy to restrict what the child can use it for. It is used as a fun and effective learning tool, not a toy. If you would like more information on the use of iPads in the elementary classroom, I would encourage you to read the article for yourself, and do research on your own as to the pros and cons, and share with me your own ideas about implementing technology with your child's learning experience.