As this semester goes on, I am seriously beginning to feel the pressure of all the work we are expected to for our masters program. The one thing specifically that is really stressing me out is my Capstone project. For my project, I am trying to conduct a little case study if you will, and see how English teachers feel about the use of technology in their classroom. With the introduction of SMARTboards, it seems to me that a lot of schools are spending their money on technology because they feel that it will help their students learn.
For my project, I will be interviewing teachers that I know about their views on technology in the classroom, if they use technology in their classroom. If they don't, I would be really interested to know why. Personally, I think SMARTboards are fun and everything, but are they really needed to help a child learn in all subjects? I understand that they can be entertaining, but haven't students been learning English with chalkboards and whiteboards for years? Are these fancy boards really worth the money? On the other hand however, there are aspects of technology that I really think could be beneficial in a classroom setting. The internet for example, allows teachers to show students videos, websites, and other material related to their subject.
How do you guys feel? As future educators, it would really mean a lot of me if you could post your comments below. It will definitely give me some insight to how others feel about technology in the classroom. Will you use technology in your classroom? Why or why not? How do you feel about technology, and are your feelings related to your knowledge (or lack thereof) for all the technological advances that seem to be finding their way into classrooms
I used Smartboards when I taught high school. They can be a great public editing tool to use with students. I also have a Smartboard in one of my undergraduate classrooms, and I use it for instruction. There have been quantitative studies done, however, to test the actual effectiveness of the Smartboard in the classroom. In fact, one of the professors in my doctoral program conducted the study. Check for articles written by "Bruce Torff" if you are looking for some literature on past studies.
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