I am still searching for more unique ways to integrate technology that will engage students with the history content. Everything I read is about using tech to create projects and complete assignments. They are all nice ideas, but I want the information presentation to be better because of technology, not just the products.
I really feel like personal technology is the easiest way to integrate it into classrooms. giving each student autonomy in their own hands is a big deal, but the issue becomes cost. If that can be overcome, students can be provided with iPads, ThinkPads, or other personal technology and they can access tons of virtual information. I mentioned virtual tours in a previous post, and there are two really nice apps in the Apple store that provide this opportunity. Pyramids 3D and Virtual History ROMA both give great insight and access into history that students will find really engaging.
I am still searching for more unique ways to integrate technology that will engage students with the history content. Everything I read is about using tech to create projects and complete assignments. They are all nice ideas, but I want the information presentation to be better because of technology, not just the products.
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As I have done some research, I have come across several recommendations that fall into the category I would call "tame." These ideas, like utilizing the Smart Boards (or Promethean Boards), or having the students conduct research online, or using YouTube, just do not fit the bill of what I am trying to find. I want transformative ideas that create links and bring the stories to life for students in real ways. Virtual file trips are one way that I could see working, but they may get old after a while. Also, as Garrett mentioned in a comment to a previous post, using technology to create timelines and other projects makes manipulating the information more interactive. One idea that I want to explore more is using technology to link up with a person who experienced history, through Skype or some other technology similar to that. just using the technology to bring real experience into the classroom like having an expert visit the classroom, but the breadth of the net cast is exponentially larger when using technology.
As I wrote about in my implementation, my first attempt at using technology was a simple one hat the students were very familiar with: Kahoots. Instead of restating that, I want to address issues that I had. I quickly discovered that all attempts at technology use must be strictly guided and structured. The students must also be supplied with the tools for success in their use, otherwise the novelty wears off quickly. This was something I noticed with several students because they simply did not know the material and disengaged quickly. It was a short-sighted attempt on my part with no real link to meaningful technology. in the future, I will need to be more diligent in my usage of technology and ensure that the technology provides something not so readily available without it.
It has become a commonality for teachers to use technology as an enrichment tool to add depth to their lessons. Because students live and operate in a technological world, teachers have begun to reach them on their playing field. The teaching world talks about making the lessons tie to the students, creating a link between the lesson and the students who will experience it so that it matters to them. What better way to do that than through the medium they use for everything else in their lives, the one they are most comfortable with. I am not talking about watching video or playing Oregon Trail, but interactive use of countless technological sources that make learning in the classroom both more accessible and more stimulating. The students engage more because the lessons come to them in the realm they would prefer to operate within. In history classrooms, this seems to be both the most imperative and most difficult. Students are often detached from history lessons because they see the themes and information as distant ideas from long ago that do not relate to them at all. It is often difficult for them to engage with the material. Using technology to make it more "real" is crucial, but it has not always been very easy. I plan on doing extensive research into this area so that I can find content-specific resources that will make the students part of the history. When they can experience it, when it is more than "old dead white men," it will matter to the students and they will engage and learning will take place, whether the students realize it or not. But the integration of technology cannot be superficial, it cannot be "just a game," but instead must include rigor and critical thinking. That will be the most difficult part of my search for tools. |
In the wise words of Deion Sanders:
"If you look good, you play good. And if you play good, they pay good." ArchivesTake a quick break and watch this for a bit of humor amongst all these words.
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