Learning to unlearn

Teachers need to unlearn things, because technology is constantly upgrading. A teacher cannot be at their full potential unless they have the ability to unlearn and relearn things. A teacher will not be at their full potential if the can not unlearn that learning only occurs in school. Children learn outside of school and are constantly learning. Learning does not have to be a individual task, I was in groups in classes and they were an effective tool for me. The teacher does not have to be an expert at their subject, but they need to be able to help kids grasp concepts and become better critical thinkers and problem solvers.

There are a number of things that I will have to unlearn for when I become a teacher. Adusting to technology is one, I have never been "tech savy" technology is becoming increasingly popular in our classrooms. I will definately need to become more efficient with technology and with computers.

Interactive Whiteboards in Today's Classroom

       Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) can be a useful tool if used correctly, but from my personal experience in high school none of my teachers used it as anything more than a normal whiteboard or a projector to watch videos on. I have never seen a need for them because they were used improperly and were so expensive. I saw it as a waste of federal dollars when it was the same lesson but on a board that costs a heck of alot more. While in SEDU 183, it has changed how I see these IWB's, because it has shown me how useful they can be.

       IWB's were sold as a "stepping stone" for student achievement and that these IWB's would help students increase their performance as a student. "It looks like whiteboards can be used in a way that can lull teachers into not using what we consider good instructional strategies."(Marzano, Some Educators) He said this after seeing the inconclusive test results of students who had used the IWB's in a class. I think the test results varied becuase some teachers used this new tool as a way to differentiate their classroom, while some teachers just used it as a normal whiteboard.

      In SEDU 183, we have used IWB's and we have played with the software. This has showed me that with this technology you can create a huge variation of interactive lessons. If used with proper use I believe a IWB can be an extremely useful tool in the classroom. This can help a lot with teachers who want to differentiate their classrooms. Teachers can create lessons or an activity for a classroom that can give the student a hands on approach at that lesson. Using one of these IWB's can help the teacher connect and help explain the idea to each student.