Technology in the classroom
In 2000, former Maine Governor Angus King proposed The Maine Learning Technology Endowment to put laptops in the hands of every middle school student and teacher in the State of Maine. The goal was to design a plan that would prepare students "for a future economy that relies on technology and innovation."
The Maine Learning Technology Initiative was born out of this endowment with many Maine school departments utilizing the MLTI Program, providing students and teachers with computers, laptops, and iPads, and professional development opportunities.
The Maine Learning Technology Initiative was born out of this endowment with many Maine school departments utilizing the MLTI Program, providing students and teachers with computers, laptops, and iPads, and professional development opportunities.
Student Suggestions For Use of Technology
The most common suggestion offered by students when asked were what they would like to see teachers use more of in the classroom were Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. When polled about favorite iPad applications students favored Notability, Pages, YouTube, eBackpack, Google Drive, Keynote, MyScript Calculator, Google Classroom, and iTunes U. They want to see more technology based projects. They want all teachers utilizing the on-line posting sites for homework more efficiently, with assignments and handouts being scanned for access. Students also pointed out that many teachers are not using the programs that come with iPads.
Obstacles With Technology: Teacher Perspective
Support personnel for the network and an internal repair budget for immediate fixes are imperative as many schools are very limited in the number of spare computers available for students who have lost, broken or are having maintenance issues with their computers. The ratio of spares to those out for repair is very low. The school provides 1 computer per 50 computers to use as a spare. Connectivity and bandwidth are a constant struggle. As with all aspects of public education, budgeting constraints are a serious limiting factor.
Despite the original intent of MLTI, there are very few and very limited professional development programs for teacher technological proficiency. Digital citizenship courses are in Maine schools for students, but teachers are not widely given presentations about how to teach students to use iPads. Students are left not knowing the basics of how to navigate for content information or how to analyze sources they are finding. Google is used for quick fixes for homework questions. It isn't that teachers do not want to use technology. It is that they do not know how to use it for what they want.
The most common suggestion offered by students when asked were what they would like to see teachers use more of in the classroom were Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. When polled about favorite iPad applications students favored Notability, Pages, YouTube, eBackpack, Google Drive, Keynote, MyScript Calculator, Google Classroom, and iTunes U. They want to see more technology based projects. They want all teachers utilizing the on-line posting sites for homework more efficiently, with assignments and handouts being scanned for access. Students also pointed out that many teachers are not using the programs that come with iPads.
Obstacles With Technology: Teacher Perspective
Support personnel for the network and an internal repair budget for immediate fixes are imperative as many schools are very limited in the number of spare computers available for students who have lost, broken or are having maintenance issues with their computers. The ratio of spares to those out for repair is very low. The school provides 1 computer per 50 computers to use as a spare. Connectivity and bandwidth are a constant struggle. As with all aspects of public education, budgeting constraints are a serious limiting factor.
Despite the original intent of MLTI, there are very few and very limited professional development programs for teacher technological proficiency. Digital citizenship courses are in Maine schools for students, but teachers are not widely given presentations about how to teach students to use iPads. Students are left not knowing the basics of how to navigate for content information or how to analyze sources they are finding. Google is used for quick fixes for homework questions. It isn't that teachers do not want to use technology. It is that they do not know how to use it for what they want.
A Few examples
Pinterest is a well known social networking site. It works as a visual book marking tool that helps students to discover the world and save great global ideas. Students can explore images that are linked to articles, journals, and videos about life around the world. Pinterest "boards" or collections of images can reflect pertinent themes teachers want to focus on. An example of the number of themes can be found here: Erin Towns Pinterest
Students can re-pin from teacher created boards that have relevant images and questions to lessons or units of study: The Great Nomadic Challenge - Mongols
Students are invited by teachers to collaborate on a class board, with students adding pins and information
about a given or class chosen topic: World Leaders Too Busy Having Fun
Pinterest can also be used to share resources with colleagues: Professional Learning Community
Students can re-pin from teacher created boards that have relevant images and questions to lessons or units of study: The Great Nomadic Challenge - Mongols
Students are invited by teachers to collaborate on a class board, with students adding pins and information
about a given or class chosen topic: World Leaders Too Busy Having Fun
Pinterest can also be used to share resources with colleagues: Professional Learning Community
iBooks Author affords teachers the opportunity to create their own textbook for their course. Teachers can use original text and add text, images, notes, videos, graphics or movies that help illustrate content or skills being taught. Shapes, charts, tables, and text also can be added for science and math courses. The result is that it livens up material for students. Information presented can reach a myriad of learning styles. It is easy to use with drag and drop features. A Macbook is required to design the iBook and students can use iPads to download and use the teacher created text. What is more, students, The text can be viewed using either a MacBook or iPad, iPhone, or iPod. What is more, students can also create iBooks themselves, making for an interesting project based way of showing what they have learned.
ArcGIS Online gives students the ability to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to visualize, question, analyze, and interpret global data to understand relationships, patterns and trends.
Students use of GIS builds geographic knowledge and skills and helps them to understand what is happening and what will happen in geographic spaces. K-12 schools can apply for an organizational account free of charge using this form: Connect Ed Request Teachers can also use the ArcGIS Story Map Program to build projects for classroom use that are interactive for students. The following is an example: ArcGIS Map Journal: Geography of the Middle East |
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