Video in the Classroom

Video seems to be becoming more mainstream as the years pass. Students in classrooms know how to use cameras and video-cameras that are far beyond the technology that I used just 10 years ago. I believe that it is important to use items that the students find interesting and that follow along with the time in which they live in. That said, I think that I could have oriented many past lessons to use video. For example, I wrote a math lesson 2 years ago that could have went more smoothly if I had had a video explaining it. It also could have made the lesson more interesting. Another project that I did 2 years ago had to do with creating my own Utopia. It was a group project, and it would have been much more interesting if we had created a video that showed what the Utopia was like. For instance made the video so it seemed like it was a vacation resort video like someone would see on television. I think this would have made it seem more realistic and would have hit home for more of the other students in my class.

I would incorporate video in the classroom by allowing the use of video to assist me in teaching lessons and also allowing the students to teach using video. I would use video in the classroom by showing the students video of certain historical events or even science projects in order to keep their attention. This is useful, because it can keep the students attention and is also inexpensive to use because of certain websites such as United Streaming. I would allow the students to use video, by allowing them to do a group project where they make a video demonstrating a certain historical event. It could actually be used to teach any subject. It allows the students to get involved with what they are learning. The students have fun, act, learn new information, and finally have to teach what they have learned. Video is a great tool for teachers to have.

Success with the Net Generation

After reading chapter eight and thinking about how classrooms are evolving, I do not think it will be difficult for me to be successful with the net generation. I believe that to be successful with the net generation teachers need to be one step ahead of the students. We need to be up to date to the latest technology and interactive activities. If we can do this, then I believe there is a great possibility that we can get these students involved and wanting to participate in class. I know if I had interactive and online activities I would have been more interested. While reading this chapter I also thought about how cool it would be to have students have their pen pals online. If the school could contact a school somewhere else and the two classrooms could communicate via email, rather than having to write out a letter, then mail it, then wait for a response the students would be very excited and the writing would occur more often.

In chapter 8, it says if we want to be successful we need to step back and release a bit of the control. It always says how the students will be able to do science rather than just learn science or do history rather than just learn about it. If we do not embrace these advances then we will definitely fall behind. I also think that students know how to do many activities on the computer, but do not necessarily know the correct way. I think we need to refine what they know and make them better without them realizing that they are doing work.