O.K. This project just blew me away. We all know how technologically challenged I am, but this smart board technology takes the cake. The project was way cool, although I felt a bit inhibited due to my lack of experience in working with this type of program. What I think is great about it is the fact that students can down load the program and work on class projects from their own home computers. Or even work jointly on projects or classroom work from individual computers in the classroom. (My project makes use of this feature.). Since I am most probably not going to be teaching in a traditional classroom, I hope wherever I happen to teach either as a sub or perhaps as a trainer in the business world this technology will be available to me. I could not imagine why any school district or business would not encourage the use of this technology.
On the subject of technology in our schools, the video on Harrison Central High School was amazing. To find that traditional subjects such as physics and algebra can be taught with a new twist with the use of computers and video technology to analyze a cheerleaders moves to graphing the intensity of sound waves while playing an instrument brings new dimension to teaching and learning. The hands on approach these teachers take with their students in and out of the classroom, such as the case with the science department's trips out to the woods and the swamps, I think would give any student a better understanding of the world around them and how their actions affect their environment. These approaches to traditional subjects using modern technology keep the students active and interactive with the program which can do nothing but enhance the learning experience for all students. This leads me to again to not understanding why more schools (school administrators) do not embrace the new technologies and the advantages they can afford both teachers and students. Harrison Central High School seems to have set a benchmark for all educators to aspire to.
Kids
16 years ago
