Rationale for using technology and multimedia in the classroom

We find ourselves today, in a classroom full of students as diverse as the world in which we live. Research on the human brain has shown that not all students learn by one particular strategy. Some students do well with the tried and true method of direct instruction, but the majority of students do not. To reach the most number of students, the teacher needs to create a variety of learning experiences. The first and most simplistic way is to use technology to supplement classroom instruction. Technology will help meet these demands is by allowing students to interact with information within a different medium. There are numerous multimedia programs designed to meet the special needs of diverse learners. For example, a student learning English as a second language would benefit from a computer program where they could learn the language at their own pace. They could spend as much time as needed on the computer, without feeling pressured to keep up with 30 other students. Another type of learner may memorize facts and details better if the information is presented in musical form. One can not expect all teachers to teach in this fashion, but a computer program or multimedia application may have the capabilities of doing so without taking additional time away from other students. By utilizing such programs, a single teacher can employ many more resources and methods within one classrooms, rather than teaching the information in one manner to all students.

Another valuable way technology should be used in the classroom is to teach students how to manage information. Our generation has commonly been referred to as living in the 'information society.' Never before in the history of the world have people had so much access to information. With the click of a mouse or even a remote control, one can know what is a happening anywhere in the world, at any given time. Our students must become information literate; our democratic society depends on this fact. Where better to teach our children these skills than in the classroom. By incorporating technology in the curriculum, students will become exposed to a variety of modes of communication - both as sender and receiver. A teacher may utilize the vast amount of information on the Internet to help students develop the skills necessary to determine a reliable source of information from an unreliable. Also, students will learn how to analyze and synthesize information gathered from a variety of resources and possibly develop a multi-media presentation to share their research with their classmates. Finally, students are also able to interact with people around the world, thanks to technology - whether it is an expert on a particular subject they are studying or other students researching a similar question. What ever the particular scenario may be, technology allows teachers to expand the four walls of the traditional classroom and explore the world in which we live.

Finally, according to Bloom's Taxonomy, as children move through the hierarchy of learning, their studies should progressively move towards developing higher level thinking skills. Technology can facilitate this process when integrated within the existing curriculum. Gone are the days of spending hours mulling through over a dozen hard-copy books looking for information for a research project. With technology, students can shift their focus from acquiring information to the task at hand - synthesis, analysis and presentation of information. To guarantee that technology is being used appropriately to develop higher level thinking skills, the teacher must develop curriculum to do so. For example, both roles of the teacher and student have changed dramatically over the last 20 years. In the traditional model of education, the teacher was responsible for disseminating information to students. The students' primary responsibility was to consume and retain as many of the facts and figures as they could. The most successful students were those who could memorize and regurgitate information in a variety of format - writing papers, oral reports and tests. However, we have recently discovered that these types of skills do not always prepare our students for their professional lives. For a student to be successful in today's job market, they must be able to assess and analyze information, not merely memorize. Businesses are looking for independent thinkers, not mindless robots. As instructors, we must realize this fact and adjust our curriculum accordingly - and one way of implementing this change is through the use of technology.

In conclusion, technology and multimedia applications should be an integral part of the learning environment. Our students are immersed in a daily life full of computers and other technological advances. The schools of America should reflect this change in the classroom. Integration of technology does not mean placing a computer in the corner of the classroom and leaving it un-touched throughout the semester. Technology must be incorporated in all aspects of the curriculum. To do anything less would be a disservice to our students.

The results...

It has been quite some time i did not review my blog. It's time to be active again!!!:) Let me drop some words about our assignment in producing a video clip that is to be used in ESL classroom. I couldn't deny that although the process of making it was tough (for someone like me who is a little bit far behind in computer field), still it leaves a good experience for me in disclosing my ability and creativity. I have to admit that working at the last minute is not the right way to produce a quality product. It took me some time to come out with the concept based on the topic that i chose. I tried to browse on the internet to look out some examples so that I could get some ideas on how to produce my video. There are some good videos that I found from the website like YouTube and MSN. They are very entertaining and simple but yet effective. I also downloaded some songs and images that are related to my topic, 'COLOURS'.

After getting some ideas and materials needed, I started to scatch out the storyboard for the video clip by considering the target group and also objectives to be achieved. Several times I had to redo it in order to get the best one. This process taught me to be patient as I had to crack my head and come out with my own original ideas. Another challenging part is to learn to use Windows Movie Maker and other editing softwares. I managed to try out those softwares and program on my own. I began to develop confidence in myself as I moved from one stage to another. No matter how hard it is, nothing is impossible to achieve as long as we believe and put on efforts in what we are doing. Support from group members is important as well. My group members kept on sharing their ideas throughout the process and this was an advantage for me to improve on my video. Starting from zero, this project gave me the opportunity to build up the knowledge and skills in applying the latest technology for the use in ESL classroom. As I learnt how to exploit different kinds of softwares and skills, things became easier for me and more ideas came in. As I mentioned earlier, time factor is very important, thus, we need to plan right from the beginning so that the work that we produce is more than satisfactory level. Personally, I wish I had outlined my schedule in a more organised manner. I could not turn back time but I can overcome this problem in me.

Finally, I managed to come out with a video clip that is ready to be used for teaching in the classroom. I can say that I am satisfied with my work but still can be improved. I need to acquire more skills in exploiting more softwares so that I can produce a variety of teaching tools for my pupils in the future. The decision to upload all the videos produced by the students in YouTube is exciting and in a way everyone is contributing their work for the benefits of others.

Videos are effective stimulus to get pupils attentions and interests. This is because videos are colourful, entertaining and more lively compared to other types of teaching tools. Even though technology in computer is very influential in educational field today, we must always keep in mind that it could only assist us in teaching and learning, not to take the role of a teacher as the educator. The technology that we utilise should be practical and appropriate, so that they are useful for the young learners. Thus, we should not take it for granted to make teaching and learnining easier, but we should apply it to make teaching-learning more effective.

SmartBoard...an interactive software

As we move into this 21st century, there are many changes could be seen in our educational system. More stresses are put into integrating current technology in teaching and learning process. Therefore, it is the right time for teachers to start grapping the skills in conducting the SmartBoard...
The 3 hour session conducted by the lecturers to introduce the latest software for Smartboard is very handful. Even though I have been exposed to it about a year ago, it is good to refresh my memory on how to use it. At the same time, the examples of activities developed by our seniors using SmartBoard sofware give me previllage in getting the ideas on what I can do with this software. There are so many things we can do with it such as games, video viewing, and other interactive activities that can involve pupils on the spot...