Renewing Interest in Teaching by Integrating Technology

By Venise Grossmann

Like many others, after completing my tenth year of teaching, I started to experience the

first signs of burnout. I started to ask myself questions such as, Is it too late to change

my major? Or would taking a pay cut and starting all over really be so bad?

Fortunately, two years ago, I became interested in technology, and my decision to

integrate it into my classroom is what renewed my interest in teaching. Now, I don’t only

tolerate my job, but look forward to it as each day offers me new opportunities to learn

skills that I can teach my students and revive their interest as well.

Benefits of Using Technology

Besides personal satisfaction, there are many reasons why educators should welcome the

opportunity to utilize technology:

· You will gain the respect of parents, administrators, and your colleagues.

· You can invite parents, administrators, and your colleagues into your classroom to showcase your projects.

· Your students will view you as “with it.”

· You will utilize cooperative learning because your students will learn to help each other.

· You will also learn from your students: many of them are already highly proficient in areas you may not yet be.

· Projects created on the computer are a form of alternative assessment.

· You can give students the opportunity to meet the requirements of an assignment using another medium (e.g., create a PowerPoint slide show, a Web page, or a multimedia presentation).

· You will meet state and national Core Curriculum Standards.

· You will add variety to your instructional methods, and your lesson will appeal to the students with multiple intelligences.

· It will keep your job interesting and exciting, and your students may catch your enthusiasm.

· You can more easily revise and update your instructional materials.

· You can use a grading program.

· You can use PowerPoint to create slide shows and make overheads and transparencies.

· You can conduct research.

· You can create banners and posters for your classroom.

· You can communicate with parents through the use of e-mail.

If up until this point, you have been reticent to try technology, remember that it is only natural to be nervous when you do something for the first time. Just as we feel more comfortable teaching a new course the second year, your comfort level with computers will also improve

First, make the commitment to start learning and set aside some time. Only try to master one piece of software at a time, and even in doing that, don’t try to learn the whole program at once; instead, just try to learn one skill one new skill at each sitting.

Don’t be frustrated. Problems will arise with the hardware and software. You will become more proficient in troubleshooting as you become more experienced. The same advice holds true for incorporating technology into the classroom. Find a project that interests you and try to work out the kinks before trying another. Below is a list of suggestions for projects you might want to try; they can be modified to suit the grade and level that you teach.

Sample Projects

· Use word processing to aid in revision process.

· Use email to:

- Write an author

- Write you with comments or suggestions about your course

- Request information on the Internet

- Peer edit another student’s work.

· Use a desktop publishing or word processing program to:

- Design business cards or advisements

- Create a newsletter

- Create a newspaper

- Create a literary magazine

· Use templates to create letters, memos, resumes

· Create a PowerPoint presentation

· Use Hyperstudio to design a multimedia presentation

· Use PowerPoint or Hyperstudio to create a collection of the class’ poetry (Incorporate sound by having the students read their poetry into the program with an attached microphone.)

· Incorporate video in a presentation.

· Add graphics to enhance any project:

- Clip art

- Scanned items

- GIF images

- Images from CD-ROM

- Images from a digital camera

· Publish student work on the Web

· Conduct research on the Internet

· Use CD-ROMs as a research tool.

· Add a table to illustrate findings in a research project

· Use Excel to create a spreadsheet

· Keep a portfolio of their work on disc

Where to Learn More about Computers and Technology

Once you begin experimenting, you will want to learn more. The following is a list of places to gain additional information:

· Take the PLN 6 graduate course offered through the University of Pennsylvania

· Take courses offered at other colleges and universities

· Take non-credit courses offered in your community or at a county college

· Take a workshop offered in your district

· Ask your peers to teach you their newly honed skills (Most will be happy to share.)

· Observe classes in your school that are utilizing technology

· Stop over a friend’s and have him show you his new system and software

· Read the Tech Life section of The Philadelphia Inquirer

· Subscribe to computer magazines or borrow some from your school library or read them at your county library

· Buy a computer manual and do some self-study at home

· Browse software and hardware catalogs

The important thing is to climb aboard the fast moving train of technology and encourage others to do the same. No doubt you will find at least one niche to pique your interest, and then your enthusiasm will only grow.