Welcome to my first "Week in Technology" post! Once a week I will discuss the technology I have observed and used in both the Montclair State University classrooms and at my fieldwork site (Columbia High School). The theme of this week is projectors. In more than half of the classes I attended last week, projectors were used. At an orientation, a projector was used to project a PowerPoint. In my Art of Fiction class, a projector was used to show an episode of a television series that will thread learning materials together throughout the entire semester. And finally in my Language and Literacy class, a projector was used to project the course syllabus.
My feelings about the projector are quite simple: if used properly, it is a wonderful technological tool. In my Language and Literacy class, everyone had the course syllabus on their desks and to show it again via the projector seemed redundant. Personally, I believed its use in this instance to be unnecessary and wasteful. Obviously using the projector to show films that enhance student learning, as in my Art of Fiction class, is an excellent use of the device; especially in this technological age where learning of any kind has become extremely visual. Using the projector to display a PowerPoint presentation is another great use of the device, although the presentation itself could have been more interactive.
Ultimately I believe technology in the classroom must be utilized purposefully. Schools across the world are spending thousands of dollars on integrating technology into classroom settings and if these technological devices are used improperly or not at all, then there is no reason for their existence except to collect dust. Too often I have observed in public schools and seen Smart Boards either sitting in the corner (some still in the box) or not being used to their full potential. I believe projectors, although older technological device, are in a similar sort of situation: completely disregarded or used "just cause."
Projectors are a great tool in the classroom when used correctly, just like any other technology. It can be repetitive, as mentioned by you, to use it when students already have the materials right in front of them. The only way in which I see this incidence be useful is if they are going over homework and using the projector to check the answers and go over it as a class.
ReplyDeleteJacob, I agree with what you have to say about the projector. I also believe that teachers need to be taught sufficiently on how to use the technology. I don't know about you but, even in Montclair I have seen countless professors have to call tech support. This ruins the lesson being taught and the interest the students have on the lesson. That is why some professors don't use the projectors. I feel that when we are introduced to a new technology, we not only need to know how to utilize it but know what to do when it goes wrong. Do I make sense? Can it be achievable?
ReplyDeleteAshley, you are absolutely right! I feel like every time a professor attempts to use technology in class, they have to call tech support. Even for something simple like showing a video clip. It is extremely disruptive. There is a huge need for a collaboration between the tech teams and the professors on this campus. You can feel so much tension between them. Perhaps if the tech team organized some sort of training for professors, technology in the classrooms would be more enjoyable!
ReplyDelete