According to the text (2015), the research was centered around a three minority groups in a fourth-grade classroom. The students were African-American, Hispanic and Native Americans. These students were reading below basic levels. In addition, the students came from low socioeconomically backgrounds in a specific urban area. To combat this issue researchers were aware of strides technology was making in the classroom with struggling learners in reading and math. Moreover, the research revealed that the use of technology did not equate rigor or challenging. Teachers needed training on how to properly use technology in their classrooms. “Although attention to the use of technology in the classroom has increased, there is still a gap between teachers’ knowledge of the use of these new technologies and their actual application in classroom practice. Laffey (2004) studied preservice teachers’ technology use and concluded that they needed to learn (a) how to plan for technology, (b) how to apply it in the classroom, and (c) how to work with other professionals to use it most effectively,” (Musti-Rao, Shobana, Cartledge, Bennett, and Council, 2015). Once teachers were properly trained they learned the benefits of technology in the classroom. The benefits are differentiating instruction, consistent delivery of instruction, increase in student motivation and assist in classroom management, (2015). As an educator in a Title I school, I could relate to what the teachers were enduring have students who were below grade level. From the article, I gained knowledge on the importance of being properly trained on the technology being used in the classroom. Often, educators can be guilty of letting technology be trial and error for students because they’re technology savvy. However, for technology to be effective the teacher must know the tool that is being used in their classroom in order for the lesson to be effective, engaging and motivating. I have experienced in the past being given clickers to use in my classroom however; I wasn’t properly trained and they weren’t used because I didn’t want to be unprepared during an activity in my class. After I mentioned it to an administrator several teachers will trained on how to properly use clickers I found numerous ways of how to implement it into my lessons. I used it as an informal and formal tool to assess students’ knowledge individually as opposed to having a few student answer questions. I could assess what each student knew.
Reference Musti-Rao, Shobana, Gwendolyn Cartledge, Jessica G. Bennett, and Morris Council. 2015. "Literacy Instruction Using Technology With Primary-Age Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners." Intervention In School & Clinic 50, no. 4: 195. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File, EBSCOhost (accessed January 5, 2017).
As an educator in a Title I school, I could relate to what the teachers were enduring have students who were below grade level. From the article, I gained knowledge on the importance of being properly trained on the technology being used in the classroom. Often, educators can be guilty of letting technology be trial and error for students because they’re technology savvy. However, for technology to be effective the teacher must know the tool that is being used in their classroom in order for the lesson to be effective, engaging and motivating. I have experienced in the past being given clickers to use in my classroom however; I wasn’t properly trained and they weren’t used because I didn’t want to be unprepared during an activity in my class. After I mentioned it to an administrator several teachers will trained on how to properly use clickers I found numerous ways of how to implement it into my lessons. I used it as an informal and formal tool to assess students’ knowledge individually as opposed to having a few student answer questions. I could assess what each student knew.
Reference
Musti-Rao, Shobana, Gwendolyn Cartledge, Jessica G. Bennett, and Morris Council. 2015. "Literacy Instruction Using Technology With Primary-Age Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners." Intervention In School & Clinic 50, no. 4: 195. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File, EBSCOhost (accessed January 5, 2017).