The Streamline
by Matthew Trimboli
by Matthew Trimboli
As we venture into the high-tech world of new technologies, it is always beneficial to consider what new tools and strategies will aid our efforts to enhance instruction and engage all learners. For myself, the creation of teacher and classroom websites is a critical component in effectively integrating technology into the content and pedagogy of lessons due to its potential for improving learning and building relationships.
Teaching in an environment where even portable TVs and overhead projectors are not readily available, I relish the prospect of being able to create teacher and classroom websites to "streamline" the plethora of events, activities and communiques that comprise a full school year for most teachers. To "streamline" teaching means to categorize and coordinate all of those processes into a centralized source, which the websites represent, while providing students and parents multiple conduits for locating and completing work, communicating with the teacher and remaining up to date with material.
Instead of wasting class time writing directions and expectations on the blackboard, I can post them all to the websites in advance so students can access them anytime. Additionally, a website that is thoroughly and carefully designed will allow students to refer back to notes, lessons and assignments that they may have missed due to absence, field trips, extracurricular activities, etc. At the same time, parents have access to a virtual mainframe that contains most of the assignments, materials and information their children are responsible for over the course of a school year. When used in conjunction with regular communication, these websites are a powerful tool for developing and sustaining positive, proactive relationships between students, parents and teachers. All parties have new opportunities for remaining in regular contact with each other, which translates into increased levels of trust, understanding and cooperation since they will all be equally informed about their respective work, expectations and responsibilities. Such is the potential of classroom and teacher websites...
Three Questions:
1) As new technologies become more specialized and complex, will it be feasible and
advantageous for school districts to implement programs that promote the use of
classroom and teacher websites?
2) How will we measure the projected benefits and drawbacks of using new tools such as
these personal websites once they are widely implemented in schools?
3) Could education possibly become a completely virtual field in the future as learning
and instruction increasingly transition into online formats?
and instruction increasingly transition into online formats?
Jason F,
ReplyDeleteThe use of school websites and having teacher linked pages would he very advantageous to the community. My aunt teaches at a school that has a school website and each teacher has a page of their own where they post student’s works, syllabus, and a teacher comment page the parent’s can reach out and ask questions. The most important safety feature is all email correspondence is recorded in the school data base and the principal can view them at any time. the integration of technology in schools will be standard pretty soon.
I think the most important benefit of these new technological advancements implemented is that you have more ways of communicating with the student’s and parent’s. The teacher would also have a commonly used area to post all the work for the student’s. This will assure the parents can view all grades given and the students can keep track of their work as well. The feature of Google translate on every page can also assist those parents who do not communicate in English by simply translating the page into their desired language. I see technology in the classroom as giving a voice to those students who do not have one. I still want to encourage those students to come out of their shell, but you can not force anyone too.
I can see the implementation of more virtual classrooms and maybe video teaching, similar to video boardroom meetings. I can not see their being a total eradication of school buildings because parents still work. They still need a place to send their children during the work day. If you remove the students and teacher from the class, how will ideas be shared? You will lose your social abilities because you will not pick up on physical cues. A feeling of detached from the community as a whole could start to form because you are allowed to be anywhere while your still “in class.” Will a teacher be needed or will a voice prompt that reacts off cues? I think their might be more options for virtual classrooms and schools but making the field completely virtual, no time soon.
Your third question really caught my attention and I was quick to respond. I do not believe that they teaching world will ever, should ever, or could ever become all virtual. I have taken one online class at SJU and hated it! There were so many times I needed an explanation from the professor, I had to wait days for an email response, the technology wouldn't upload my work, etc. Most of these problems do not exist when you have a teacher in front of you, teaching you every day. It always helps, I believe, to be able to see a person face to face and have them explain a concept to you. Even if the field of teaching does become virtual, at the end of the day teachers are still needed to make these virtual teaching worlds possible, and still need to be there to interact with students.
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