Lincoln Elementary School Reflection

In thinking back to our class visit to Lincoln Elementary School, here in Cedar Falls, it is quite amazing to think about the numerous ways that they use technology. First of all, let it be noted, that Lincoln was built around 2003, so each aspect of the building is amazingly new and current.

The major feature that I noticed when I was there was the microphones that some of the teachers wore when presenting a lecture. I found this extremely beneficial in a couple of aspects. First, the teacher could still speak at a reasonable volume, as the microphone was wired to speakers throughout the room, making it a little easier so they did not have to shout. The other reason this would prove beneficial would be that it could be recorded and reproduced at a later date. If a student missed a certain day's lecture on a math or English assignment, the podcast of that lecture could be presented to the student, allowing the student to stay ahead with his or her schoolwork.

Another observation I had was just how MUCH these teachers integrated technology into their classroom. The use of the overhead projector seems a minor part of the classroom now, due to the shift to the projectors mounted to the ceiling. Commented one teacher, "I feel lost if something is not working." This just proves that the shift is ocurring as far as classroom technology.

As for the students, WOW! Each of them had their own favorite part of using the computers in the classroom, whether it was playing games, working on websites, or creating and showing a PowerPoint presentation. It was fascinating to see just how excited they got when they were allowed to share their favorite sites and activities using technology.

From a broader perspective, to see how the school was networked together was amazing. Getting a sneak peek at the hubs that their network runs on was absolutely awesome! They have whole rooms dedicated to their computer netowrking supplies! It was also interesting in learning just how networked the entire Cedar Falls District is at the present day.

Overall, this experience really opened my eyes in viewing the level and amount of technology that occurs in the classroom. Each element that we observed seemed to be in use in the classroom and the students really seemed to enjoy it. I can just hope that as I graduate and enter into the teaching profession, I will be in a district that can afford or already has been able to afford these certain types of technology that can easily be integrated into the classroom curriculum.

One Laptop Per Child

Recently in the news, there has been an increase in the discussion of the One Laptop per Child Project that is currently being implemented. So, what exactly is this phenomenal project? Nicholas Negroponte is the founder and chairman of the project, in which there are specially designed computers for children to enhance learning. The goal is to have residents purchase a laptop to send to a child in a third world country so that they can experience the online world and be connected with everyone worldwide. I first saw the video below as it aired live on CNN and had to share it. This is truly a fascinating project and hopefully will enhance learning for those certain children.

One Laptop Per Child

Textbook 2.0

An article recently reported on by CNN outlines a new way of learning and using the classic textbook by putting the course materials online. This Connexions website offers students a place to view electronic versions of textbooks and teachers a place to add to the information by way of the Creative Commons licensing. Each lesson is known as a "module" and those are divided up into the educational categories that they represent. Another point that should be noted, this site is not only offered in English, but has stretched to other languages, including but not limited to Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese. This website can be very useful to educators and students alike by way of the convenience it provides. If you would like to read the article, check it out here!

Educational Technology In Action

Visiting the website for our area newspaper, the Quad City Times, I came across an article that was about the application of technology in the classroom. Usually, due to the lack of funding available, some schools in the Davenport area cannot afford such interactive technologies for the classroom. This particular classroom at Neil Armstong Elementary School in Bettendorf uses an interactive whiteboard to aid student learning. In the linked video, it shows students studying a map of the northeast portion of the United States and students are to drag state names from the list to the appropriate state. Of course, this isn't the only thing that this whiteboard is capable of doing, but, it is a great asset to any classroom to enhance student learning. Read about this fascinating technology here!