Technology Experiences

When asked what kinds of technology was used when I was a student, the first thing that comes to mind is the smart board. I went to Lawrence High School, we had smart boards in most of the classrooms. In my math class, my teacher would use it everyday. It came in handy because students could do homework problems or equations on the board for everone to see. It seemed to be more effective than the classic white board. The teacher used it for powerpoints, for us to take notes, and she would go onto the internet and show us sited that were handy. That teacher also new a lot about graphing calculators. She taught us how to use them and the short cuts to go along with it. If you haven't noticed, my favorite subject in school is math. That teacher definately taught using technology more than the rest of my teachers. Although she taught us how to use the calculators, I forgot many of the techniques she showed me. I loved how she was a math teacher who was eager to use the calculators because many math teachers don't believe in calculators.
A lot of teachers used powerpoint when I was in highschool, as well as now in college. In junior high, I remember doing a powerpoint on my own for the first time. Our assignment was to create a powerpoint that included 2 of my heroes. I did not know how to put in sounds or animations before the class. I learn how to make my powerpoint more eye catching by putting them.
I also remember using "clickers." I was a sophomore in highschool and we tried them out just to see if we liked them. The teacher set up a bunch of history related questions that had to do with what we were learning. Each student in the class had their own clicker. I think the clicker had an A, B, C and D. I'm not sure what else it had on it. When the question appear each student would chose an answer. On the board, it showed bar graphs, charts and percentages. I think clickers would be an excellent source to use as a teacher because it mixes up the style of assessment. Instead of doing classic pen and paper testing, clickers offer an alternative. All students have different learning styles and do better with different styles of testing/assessment. Clickers may be a more efficience and effective way of testing. It also shows the teacher what they could improve on when teaching their lesson. By looking at the results of the test, they will know what they need to reteach, or cover more effectively.

*Amber C