7 Brilliant things Teachers Do With Technology

This article focuses on seven ways in which teachers can and are using technology in the classroom in order to help each student become a better and more prepared student for the rest of their lives. 

1.        The first positive listed is that teachers are empowering students with technology.  This is not saying that technology should be used as a crutch, but rather that it should be used as a propellant.  It states that brilliant teachers have themselves experienced the power of technology and help guide the student to use technology in extremely productive ways.

2.       The second area in which technology is being used is to creatively find and use resources.  This includes teachers using their own resources to find new and creative ways in order to obtain new technologies in the classroom and incorporate them into the classroom.

3.       The third area of technology is making conferencing real-time.  This refers to increasing the amount and ability to communicate with the students home.  In today’s technological world there are so many new ways that a teacher can communicate with parents including; email, websites, online grading books, wikis and phone calls.  Having all these options make it possible to allow the parent to stay more informed about what the student is actually doing in school without having to actually go in to see the teacher.  This also allows the parent to be informed about things without having to wait for the semester conferences.

4.       The fourth way that teachers are incorporating technology into the classroom is to put kids in touch with the world.  This refers to making the students more aware and able to obtain information about what is taking place in the world and to learn more about other cultures.  This can also help them to dream bigger and learn how to empathize with others.

5.       The fifth way that technology can be used by a teacher is to accept the role of co-learner.  This means that no one has all the answers to everything, and a teacher needs to be able to admit this when it happens and use their resources to obtain the answers that they need.  The article states that sometimes it is beneficial to have the student teach the teacher something about technology; this can both help the teacher and also give the student a chance to show what they know in a positive manner.

6.       The sixth step that teachers can use technology to benefit the classroom is to use the kids own devises to teach them.  Students are already more advanced when it comes to technology than some educators, so rather than working against it a teacher should embrace new technology.  One of the strongest examples is smart phones.  So many students are familiar and own a smart phone and there are numerous educational tools that can be accessed using this form of technology.

7.       The last positive thing that a teacher can do is to delight in the discovery, the newness, and the fun that technology holds.  Embracing all the amazing things that technology allows us to do is so important when being an educator in today’s world.  Using different technology tools can be fun, exciting, and can increase the interests of the student.  The article states that brilliant teachers use technology’s engagement ( not entertainment) power.

I found this article to be interesting.  The seven examples of how technology can be beneficial for the classroom and students all seemed to in some way increase interest, increase communication, and increase the ways in which a student can learn.  This was just a summary of the article, more can be found at

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/johnson/johnson033.shtml