Students+Digital+Technologies+in+the+Classroom

=Students Digital Technologies in the Classroom =



 Students learning in 21st Century classrooms are unlike students from any generations prior. These students are learning in an environment where technology is prominent and necessary to ensure student engagement. The presence of technology in the classroom is beneficial because it sparks student interest, production, and creativity. Students want to be engaged in the classroom through the integration of technology that they use in their everyday lives. Teachers must find new and innovative methods of implementing new technologies such as cell phones, iPods, and Internet programs, to further engage student learners in their classrooms. Often, this becomes difficult for educators to do in a Science classroom because it is heavily dominated by experimentation. Teachers often focus on the experiment aspect and neglect to include technology into student projects. Teachers should begin to implement technology such as cell phones and iPods into Science curriculum everywhere, to enhance the student's experience with the lessons.

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 Students want to be engaged in daily lesson plans. This video explains the lack of technology current educators include in the classroom. Students suggest ways in which they can learn best through the use of cell phones, iPods, Podcasts, and digital online resources. Students want to create projects and be proud of their personal work. Technology provides students with a chance to exhibit creativity in an engaging atmosphere. Theorists such as Howard Gardner and his theory of Multiple Intelligences is directly supported through the integration of students digital technologies into the classroom. Students have the ability to understand information in the ways they learn best. Collaborative technology projects create situations for students to learn by doing individually, then sharing their projects as a group. Student technology provides scenarios for visual, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical learning to take place. Technology allows for broad audiences of student learners to perform project and problem-based learning through the implementation of iPods, cell phones, and endless Internet resource programs.

 // **Please take a moment to reflect on your personal teaching practices. Do you find that you use technology in the classroom in a useful and meaningful way for your students? Are you integrating enough technology? How do you think you could further engage students in the classroom through the implementation of technology?** //

 Next, it is important for educators to understand the value that technologies such as cell phones and iPods can have in a classroom environment. Because classrooms are constantly becoming more diverse, students with special needs must be accounted for. The use of technology in the classroom can help these students

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 Due to physical restraints, some students with special needs might not have the ability to physically conduct scientific experiments. Different applications on the iPod can create a simulated experiment for these students, to ensure they understand the curriculum, as well as gain the experience of experimentation and data analysis. Students can interact with the iPod screen with a touch of their finger to review an experiment if they are unable to conduct one in person themselves.  **The Use of iPods and/or iPads in the Classroom**  Schools are encouraging the use of iPods by student learners. Computers should be incorporated into the curriculum in useful and meaningful ways, and as often as possible. Students can use their iPods to upload projects and complete homework anytime, anywhere. The convenience of an iPod allows for students to complete their work more quickly and effectively. Students will constantly have access to lessons right in their own hands. Animation and videos can also be uploaded to enhance student understanding of a lesson. Specifically in a Science classroom, students can videotape their experiments and projects to capture their experience. Students can review this video when necessary to produce a data chart or lab report. Students can also use their iPod for data calculations as they proceed with their experiments. An iPod can become a convenient tool for students in a Science classroom because of the many applications readily available.

 **The Use of Cell Phones in the Classroom**  Cell phones in the classroom can be beneficial for student learners because it allows for different types of learners to excel in the same classroom environment. Students can participate in polls during class time to create an engaging atmosphere where students can provide immediate responses for the teacher to monitor student involvement. Polls through the use of cell phone participation allow educators to quickly assess student understanding at a given time. This immediate feedback benefits the teacher as well as the student, because the teacher can alter instruction methods if students do not understand a part of the lesson. Cell phones in a Science classroom can be beneficial similarly to an iPod. A cell phone is equipped with a camera, where students can video record their experiments and data for long term use and review. Also, cell phones can be used to take short hand notes when handwriting and organization may become an issue for some students. Because cell phones are also equipped with calculators, sets of data can be quickly recorded and analyzed with the convenient use of a cell phone calculator. A cell phone can become useful with Science students because it is a quick and convenient tool for students to use. =**Bloom’s Taxonomy** =

 It is important for educators to consider Bloom’s Taxonomy, while creating daily lesson plans for the classroom. Students should have the opportunity to construct their own knowledge through the implementation of digital technology in the classroom. Higher order thinking skills lead to deep student understanding, as well as retention of the material. Here are the different components of Bloom’s Taxonomy and how they can be directly applied to classroom practice through the use of digital technology:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **Creating**: Students can create and/or design a cumulative project at the end of the unit with the use of technology. Students can create a visual model of the unit, or explain it creatively through the use of a song or text. Students should have a choice in their creating stage, as this is when they will create their best work.
 * Evaluating**: Students can have confidence to speak in class, as they can use their cell phone or iPod to justify a point they are trying to make. Students can defend their side of an argument by quickly locating a video or text on the Internet to support their ideas.
 * Analyzing**: Students can question different resources through the use of different technologies. Students can compare and contrast the differences between sites that are good to use for research, and ones that do not seem credible. When students have access to the Internet through the use of their cell phones, I Pods, or a computer, they will enhance their researching skills.
 * Applying**: Students can demonstrate their understanding of a particular subject area by creating a final product of work through the use of a piece of technology. Students can be asked to create music videos or even provide a demonstration using their cell phones to explain what they are learning.
 * Understanding**: Students can identify or locate videos, pictures, and/or text on their cell phones or iPods to explain a concept in class. The ease of implementing these technologies into the classroom provides the students with an opportunity to clarify any challenging aspect of what they may be learning.
 * Remembering**: Students can use the Internet or their cell phones to define a term in class. They can also bookmark the pages they are viewing to recall the word they have researched. This running log can help students remember what they have learned.

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">NETS Standards =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> **1. Creativity and Innovation** Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues d. identify trends and forecast possibilities Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: a. plan strategies to guide inquiry b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks d. process data and report results
 * 2. Communication and Collaboration**
 * 3. Research and Information Fluency**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> //**Please share how you would choose to implement a cell phone, an iPod, or an iPad into your classroom practice. Create one lesson plan for your students with the use of this piece of technology and explain the design of your plan. Be sure to consider Bloom's Taxonomy and any need of individual students, while creating your lesson plan. Please post and comment on the lessons of your colleagues as well.**//

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;"> **Here are a few links which provide further assistance to integrate student digital technologies into the classroom for educators who may be unfamiliar with how to relate these technologies into the classroom...**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;"> [|Building Technology Resources] This site provides information on how to directly apply the use of cell phones directly into classroom curriculum. Texting, student polls, cameras, and videos can all be used in the classroom to enhance student engagement and understanding.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;"> [|iPods and iPads in the Classroom] This site provides information on how to incorporate iPods and iPads into the classroom. This page provides the viewer with various resources for classroom implementation for different subject areas and different age groups.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;"> [|iPod Touch in the Classroom] This site provides information on the iPod Touch and how to utilize it in an elementary classroom setting. This page provides the viewer with several tabs which navigate through set up examples and implementation uses for the classroom.