Reflecting on Teaching with Technology

Were the students focused on learning, not on the technology?

I feel that the students were actively engaged in learning and were not focused on the technology. We were able to gain their attention by having them view the Photostory from the front of the room instead of on their own computers, as we had originally planned. I think this method worked much better, and allowed for the students to focus more on the information being taught and not the technology.

Was the technology a seamless part of the lesson?

I think that we worked the technology into the lesson well, and that the lesson was able to flow nicely, that the technology added to it as a whole.

Can you easily describe how the technology contributed to the lesson?

The technology contributed to the lesson in a variety of ways. We started out using a photostory, which captured the students attention, and hopefully their intrest in learning about the great depression. We also used a webquest idea so that the students had specfic details to find, making the learning more hands on.

Was the reason for the technology obvious to the students?

Yes, I think the reason for the technology was obvious to the students. Using Photostory, they became acclimated with The Great Depression and the lesson objective. Using the internet, they discovered the impact The Great Depression had on families, farmers, African Americans and industrial workers and submit answers to their Guide Questions. Lastly, using the Inspiration Graphic, students were able to organize what they had learned and share the information with the class.

Did the technology help a particular student?

i think that the technology helped all students not just one particular student.
Because it gave all students access to a computer to better view the screen. but if the students were visually or hearing impaired they may have benefited more.

Would you have been able to accomplish the lesson without technology?

Yes, we would have been able to accomplish the lesson without technology but I don’t think it would have been as effective. If we were not able to use technology, we could have printed out the websites and questions for the students. The students would have hand written their responses to the Guide Questions and we could have used the chalkboard to create a graphic organizer instead of using the Inspiration Graphic. The only thing we would have been unable to use was the Photostory.

Were all students participating with the technology and benefiting from it?

yes all students were participating and benefiting from the technology. Each student was able to access the information and work at their own pace.

Source: Roblyer, M.D. & Edwards, J., (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (Third Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (p. 340).