Yes! This is the blog topic I have been waiting for! Discussing the availability and infusion of technology at the parochial school where I am doing my observation is my pleasure...and my envy! This school has smart boards (interactive whiteboards) in every classroom, an iPad for every student, a computer lab in the library, online grades that can be accessed by teachers, students and parents, and a software program that tracks and helps improve the students' reading and comprehension levels (which I had the pleasure of helping to implement during my Service Learning project last semester).
Every morning the students receive their iPad's in homeroom and they are returned to their homeroom at the end of the day. The students take their iPad's to every class and use them in all subjects throughout the day. The students also have a computer class twice a week, where they learn the functions of desktop computers,as well as their iPad's. During instructional time, the teacher uses the smart board to display PowerPoint presentations, play educational videos, and draw diagrams of the material being taught.
During my last several visits, the students have been learning about the Cardiovascular system and I have witnessed them use every technological device during one class period. Using the smart board, the teacher showed a video about the function of the heart, then she displayed a PowerPoint presentation to highlight the major points in the video and allowed the students to take notes. The teacher then used the smart board to draw a diagram of the heart and had the students come up and label the major parts of the heart. After this, the teacher had the students use their iPad's to log onto www.heart.org (The National Heart Association website) and had them read about how to take a pulse correctly and how to decipher the systolic and diastolic readings of blood pressure. After pointing out to the students that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. (most student's thought it was cancer), she explained that the key to a healthy heart is a healthy diet and exercise. She assigned the students a project in which they were to use "Notes" on their iPad's to log everything they eat and all of the exercise they do for the next week. I am looking forward to seeing the students' logs on my next visit!
I have witnessed many occasions where the students have used their iPad's to do research for projects or find answers to questions that are not addressed directly in their textbooks. I have even seen them use their iPad's to record their presentation of a live newscast that they presented for their Religion class project. This school really embraces modern technology and uses it to both the teachers' and the students' advantage. I wish that every school had the funding for such technology, as from my observations they are a valuable tool for the learning process!
The one thing that I would like to point out is that, even though this school has the most modern technology, they do not have a gymnasium, nor an auditorium! P.E. classes are held outside (weather permitting) or in the cafeteria and the school play takes place in a theater in a nearby town. Wow!
Every morning the students receive their iPad's in homeroom and they are returned to their homeroom at the end of the day. The students take their iPad's to every class and use them in all subjects throughout the day. The students also have a computer class twice a week, where they learn the functions of desktop computers,as well as their iPad's. During instructional time, the teacher uses the smart board to display PowerPoint presentations, play educational videos, and draw diagrams of the material being taught.
During my last several visits, the students have been learning about the Cardiovascular system and I have witnessed them use every technological device during one class period. Using the smart board, the teacher showed a video about the function of the heart, then she displayed a PowerPoint presentation to highlight the major points in the video and allowed the students to take notes. The teacher then used the smart board to draw a diagram of the heart and had the students come up and label the major parts of the heart. After this, the teacher had the students use their iPad's to log onto www.heart.org (The National Heart Association website) and had them read about how to take a pulse correctly and how to decipher the systolic and diastolic readings of blood pressure. After pointing out to the students that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. (most student's thought it was cancer), she explained that the key to a healthy heart is a healthy diet and exercise. She assigned the students a project in which they were to use "Notes" on their iPad's to log everything they eat and all of the exercise they do for the next week. I am looking forward to seeing the students' logs on my next visit!
I have witnessed many occasions where the students have used their iPad's to do research for projects or find answers to questions that are not addressed directly in their textbooks. I have even seen them use their iPad's to record their presentation of a live newscast that they presented for their Religion class project. This school really embraces modern technology and uses it to both the teachers' and the students' advantage. I wish that every school had the funding for such technology, as from my observations they are a valuable tool for the learning process!
The one thing that I would like to point out is that, even though this school has the most modern technology, they do not have a gymnasium, nor an auditorium! P.E. classes are held outside (weather permitting) or in the cafeteria and the school play takes place in a theater in a nearby town. Wow!