As our world becomes more digital and technology driven, I feel that it is essential for educators to reveal this phenomenon in our curriculum and instruction. Many students are bombarded with a fast paced multimedia world and come into the slow paced classroom. It has become evident with all my experience in the classroom that students need to have that fast paced environment to learn as well.
As a young student, I had to have no distractions like the television on in order to study. I could not function with a lot of noise around. As I have gotten older and become a mother of four, I need those elements that I once considered distracting in order to study. My study habits have changed as my life has changed. Living in a home with four children, you can bet that it is never quiet. I adapted and while I once could not work with the television or music on, I now need to.
This has helped me understand how multimedia our students have become. I see from our students’ view how boring everything has become. While now they see through a visually appealing 3D image, we are still teaching them with a black and white image. Could we as educators not see how unappealing and unimportant it would be to our students? Games have become increasingly interesting and have helped motivate students in their education, but we know this cannot be our only outlet (Picciano, 2011). I know the biggest obstacle for educators is money for technology, but there are other ways to bring multimedia in your classroom.
Educators have discussed many technological learning tools that we can utilize in our classroom, but do we realize that it does not have to be a new technological expensive equipment to bring technology into our classroom? Most schools have the basic tools for bringing some technology into the classroom. We just have to be creative. As I have just had to read the book, Speak for another class. I thought I would find a way to bring multimedia into a lesson using this book.
To introduce this book, I would use the video on youtube of the song with the lyrics only. I would have student journal write what the song was about or their feelings about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcs7fMmhRms We would then have a discussion about what they thought. I would then play the actual video for the students. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU&ob=av3e> I would have students compare their interpretation of the song to the video. We would discuss how the words are the same, but many come up with different interpretations. This would also be an introduction to how to analyze texts. I would want my students to look beyond the words and these videos would help me portray that. It would also help me introduce a book like Speak whose themes can connect with the song lyrics. It would also help me motivate my students and help them connect the songs with literature. This is what it means to capitalize on technology to channel our students’ multimedia literacy into educational activities (Picciano, 2011). This is a simple way to introduce some type of technology in the classroom. If able, I could even use the Xtranormal website to have students create mini movies to interpret the songs too. This are all simple ways to integrate technology that does not utilize expensive equipment the school may not have.
Hi Martha,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about how students live in a fast pace multimedia world and then go into a classroom that slowpaced. I think its important to incoporate multimedia and technology to our students to help keep them engaged. As teacher, we need to create an
interest in learning and also manage to
keeping their attention in the classroom. I liked how your talked about being creative! Being an educator, you constantly have to create new opportunities for students to learn. I liked how you discussed introduce a book and applying technology into your lesson. Great post!
Greetings Martha!
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed how you emphasized the fast-paced tech world our children and our students live in. We do have to facilitate these children by including into educational curricula a major role for technology.
I often hear colleagues and peers tell me that the students today are spoiled and lazy, and could never keep up with the demands that they had as children. My response is that yes it may be true to a certain extent that "kids are kids are kids," we must also understand that they are the first generation to be exposed to technology at a young age and in their everyday lives. We, as educators and parents must address their educational needs which revolve around technology.
Good post.
Bryan