Journal Entry #2

Chapter 2

Journal Entry #2

Focus Question: How do students use technology for learning visually?

Teachers can enhance learning and visual experiments through technology. With technology the teachers and incorporate online simulations, experiments, presentations, data analysis, video clips and digitized sources of graphs and charts. This is a different visual learning experience from the static words and pictures used in the past. Visual technology offers multidimensional ways of seeing the world.

Visual learning involves giving students the skills needed to critically read color and form and assess the many types of visual presentations they will encounter in school and in society. This includes pictures, images, charts, and diagrams.

Interactive visualizations are also a great teaching tool. Children can explore through digital technologies to learn more about a particular subject. Also, with visual technologies children are able to capture the past, present and future.

Tech Tool 2.4

This Tech tool has given me a lot of incite regarding the resources available to explore in technology. The opportunities for feedback within these links are amazing. I feel that these links are really great for the student to have an opportunity to explore on their own and have the availability of feedback.

These links, particularly the educational ones allow for interactive independent experiences for the children.

Photo courtesy of Matt Koltermann 

Summary

Technology in the classroom has many different components to consider. Technology can be used either teacher or student led and in a variety of settings such as group learning or individual. It has been researched that technology is a way to bring a dynamic approach to teaching verses the “flat” approach previously used. The five components to transforming learning with unique, powerful technology are: visual learning, information research and retrieval, collaborative activities, feedback and expressing creativity; these areas breakdown the areas of learning. Each of these areas is key to developing the use of technology in the class.

I enjoyed the creative expressions portion of the chapter. I feel is so important to keep children creative and continue to let them grow creatively. Being creative through the use of computers can allow for art, poetry, creative writing, and design. I feel it brings a new excitement from the paper and pen.