Chapter 9 Journal Blog

Creating and Sharing Information with Multimedia Technologies

1. How can teachers use video resources in their teaching?

The ideal concept in teaching is to have your students gain knowlegde in a way that will stick with them throughout their lives. As time has passed, we have come to live in a world that is surrounded by technology. Educators, such as myself, have to dogde and adapt all the works of these now commonly used technologies. To me, teachers can use videos as a great way to engage students into a specific topic or lesson. It can easily spark up conversation between teacher and student. Videos are also an "ice breaker" in my eyes, they can turn a boring lecture of a lesson into a lively subject shown through a video. Students get the opportunity to be visually stimulized with something they have come to be very familar and comfortable with. Some students now a days even like using any type of technology to help them in their studies, videos are a perfect example of it. Effective teaching comes out of using video resources in the classroom. For instance, while being in this class, I have learned to use videos to help my work become more in depth. Most of the times videos even make a finish product seem more put together for me. I all of a sudden understand a topic a hundred times more than I did without watching a video on the subject. Students can also get "real life" examples of certain subjects your teaching, they can connect more with it, and then understand it more. All in all, I find that teachers can use video resources in many ways that are for the better of education and student growth.

2. Tech Tool 9.1 - Visual Learning With Digital Projectors and Interactive Whiteboards

Such things as Digital Projectors and Interactive Whiteboards have become an essential part of a classroom. They can easily make a presentation or clip an experience that everyone can see in a larger scale.  These tools for me, give a connection to students in a more personal way. When having presentations such as a powerpoint, students can project their work on a Digital Projector that makes their work enlarge and big enough for everyone in the class see. Not only do you get to be more creative with your work but you can add in certain more interactive hints to your presentation to make it more apppealing. Lessons can even be shown on the board, sort of like a big screen. Notes are taken easier this way, it is a reliever for both teachers and students. The most amazing part of a Digital Projector for me is that you can use pictures and videos straight off the internet and just show it to the classroom right then and there! There is no need for having to go through such hassels anymore. I would use a Digital Projector in my everyday to day classroom to show my students certain pictures and words that have to do with the weeks lesson. I would even show them nice interactive videos that they would all enjoy!

3. Summary

This chapter narrows into how to interact with students by using videos, PowerPoint presentations, DVDs, movie-making softwares, digital camera's, and even podcasts/vodcasts! All these tools are shown in this chapter to include students in making and sharing their thoughts and creations with them. Teachers like me can use the information in this chapter greatly by learning how to incorporate the use of digital technology in class to get on a deeper level with my students. This is the "new" way to get our generation of students to enjoy being in the classroom. They have to be familar to the tools used to teach. I personally feel that it is essential in education to learn how to adapt, we need to help students learn in the ways they learn best.

Maloy, R. W. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.