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[Using Technology to Enhance Classroom Learning]
>>Kira Baker-Doyle: My name is Kira Baker Doyle and I am an assistant professor of education,
here at Penn State Berks
and I teach mostly language arts and literacy courses, so, future elementary school teachers
learning how to teach reading and writing
I also teach a couple of other education related courses along the way.
[Learning Management Systems]
The learning management system that I use has been really integral in my teaching.
A lot of the readings that the students use are on the learning management system
In another way they get to interact with each other through it on discussion boards and
to talk about some of the things theyve read
I also use it for them to post their assignments that are due and whats really nice is that
you can often grade an assignment thats been posted online
And they can see their grades immediately. And they really appreciate that; they feel
like theyre being paid attention to.
You can put your comments in there and then you can upload their grades directly to the
system
So it eliminates a lot of the paperwork that teachers and professors often have.
I really wanted to use blogs in my course because I wanted to give the students an opportunity
to talk with each other
And reflect upon their field experience in which they were going into schools and working
with teachers
And connect that field experience with the things that we were reading about and talking
about in class.
I can see, actually, in person how a lot of the discussions that happen online and in
their blogs then translate into the ways that they talk to each other
And support each other and treat each other. They get ideas from each other online.
They talk about the things that they see in class and generally its almost like a behind
the scenes community building
What I found is in general when I use the Penn State blog program
That they’re not so public that its made available to Google but it’s public enough
to where other Penn State students can find them
So, theres sort of a nice safety net there with the Penn State blog system.
[Pedagogical Benefits]
One thing is that the more you give opportunity for students to interact with each other and
talk with each other about their learning,
The more youre going to increase learning in your class.
And when you use technology tools like learning management systems or blogs or wikis, whichever
you use,
Youre giving them that opportunity to become more social learners.
And thats a really powerful tool. So, its something to think about!
[Think About It! It could change your classroom too…]