Welcome parents to the Main Elementary blog spot! We are trying to raise funds for new technology equipment to keep up with the times. The Main Elementary PTA needs your support in the fund-raising efforts to give our students more access to technology.
When is the last time you picked up an Encyclopedia to find that answer to a nagging question? When is the last time you hand-wrote and mailed a letter to a friend? When is the last time you read a paper map? When is the last time you had to use a pay phone?
While Encyclopedias, letter writing, and paper maps may be becoming obsolete, their more technologically advanced replacements are becoming commonplace. Computer software and online databases have the answers to our questions, e-mail has made communication digital and stamp-free, GPS technology gives you directions as you go, no MapQuest necessary, and cell phones… they have changed the world forever.
You may view technology as the games your children obsess about between breakfast, school, homework, and dinner. The technology we need at Main Elementary does not include Super Mario. We need technology that will make our students think outside the box and improve their awareness of the world. This technology will develop better citizens and create more opportunities for our students in the future. Technology like:
- One computer with Internet access for every four students in a classroom
- E-mail access for every student to build bridges over oceans and miles to connect children of different cultures
- Software that can make cellphones useful in class
- Online portals that connect school and home and teachers to parents
- Document cameras for every classroom to replace antiquated overhead projectors.
In Gagné’s Cognitive-Behavioral Theory, he uses behavior and information-processing theories to develop practical instruction strategies. He used these models as guidelines to creating optimal “conditions of learning” (Roblyer, 2010, p. 37). Included in this were guidelines for learning hierarchies and the Events of Instruction for multiple types of learning. The Events of Instruction are a framework to plan lessons.
Dewey’s Social Activism Theory suggests that learning is a social experience that is fostered through hands-on activities that are connected to the real world. Dewey theorized that school curriculum should arise from students’ interests and academic subjects should be taught as integrated topics rather than isolated skills (Roblyer, 2010).
It is my wish that my students have access to e-mail and web-camera technologies. I also desire that my students have access to software programs that will enhance their learning. I would utilize the software programs to get students motivated to read. Programs such as Accelerated Reader have shown to boost interest in reading in the elementary schools. The software program gives students a certain number of points depending on the book’s difficulty. The students must take a quiz on the computer about the book in order to get the points. A program that boosts interest is one that I support. With the addition of more computers in the classroom, students will have more access to these types of programs.
I would use e-mail and web-cameras to introduce my students to virtual pen pals. In addition, I would do virtual field trips with my students. Because budgets are so tight, some field trips might be fun to try over a web-cam. For example, if we were studying a specific kind of animal species, we could do a live interview with a zoologist after having watched a live feed of the animal’s cage. There are endless opportunities for students when the school walls disappear and they catch a glimpse of the outside world. Check out these live feeds.
Gagné’s model of the Events of Instruction will be implemented through the Accelerated Reader program. Many of the nine instructional events take place during the utilization of the software. The students are engaged in the book they read, they are tested on that information, and then provided with feedback on their results.
Dewey’s theory is implemented through the use of e-mail and web-cam technologies to have virtual pen pals. Dewey believed that education is a way to learn about others and build relationships. Being socially aware was Dewey’s goal for education and instruction was only useful in the context of social experience. By giving students the opportunity to build relationships from different worlds, students will learn to be socially and culturally aware individuals.
Technology is not just fun and games. It can open your student’s eyes to a world outside of their school and town. Do not limit your child by denying technological advancement. By learning how to use technology properly in school, the students of Main Elementary will have endless opportunities.
Roblyer, M. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching. 5th. Allyn & Bacon: Boston, MA.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an educational technology course at National University. It is not a real fund-raising blog.
