Technology and multimedia have completely changed the way we view presentations. Gone are the days when an audience packs a room to simply sit and listen to a speaker. Today, there are a plethora of resources and tools available for breathing life into presentations: PowerPoint, Keynote, video clips and feeds, audio clips and feeds, video and still cameras, document cameras, smart boards, etc. Each of these technologies has changed the way a presenter presents and an audience interprets the presenter’s message.
Although I don’t have students, or a classroom to utilize multimedia tools, there are many teachers within my district who do. Many teachers utilize projectors to display online Discovery Streaming content and other videos that are available on the web; I have seen teachers use document cameras on a regular basis to capture and display images and video of examples, that are too small to see without camera magnification; teachers use PowerPoint to highlight key-points in the topics they are discussing. Everywhere I look, I see teachers integrating technology and multimedia into their presentations. It may be something as small as a photo or as large as an entire lesson that is presented using a Promethean Board. Seeing these teachers in action is a truly exciting experience. Multimedia integration has a tendency to allow students to think differently about their learning experience, thus positively engaging students.
In my personal experience, I have used videos, pictures, document cameras, PowerPoint, and Keynote while presenting to my colleagues. In talking with teachers, I have found that the largest hurdle for implementing multimedia in the classroom is making sure the technology works when there are 30, mostly impatient, students watching. Technology can be unpredictable, but many issues can be resolved through additional teacher training and the availability of technology integrators. It’s my job to make sure that teachers have the necessary technology and resources to successfully integrate multimedia. Unfortunately, I have concern that pending budget issues in my district will have a negative impact on available technology, integration, and training.
Like most educators, I would like to see the continued and expanded use of technology throughout our district. As more technology-oriented teachers take to leading classrooms, we will certainly see the use of technology and multimedia increase within our classrooms and schools. I look forward to the future and the opportunities technology will bring to our students.
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Ryan, I truly can relate to your understanding of how important it is that the technology works when we are using it with others. I can not tell you how many times this has happened to me. However, the upside of this is that I am now better at troubleshooting issues as they arise.
ReplyDeleteThe use of LCD projectors has really taken off in many school districts. Some of my students with mild vision impairments are able to benefit from having a larger screen. While this is not a practical everyday accommodation for my students to use, they do greatly benefit when teachers use projectors to enlarge materials for the entire class.
Technology can certainly be unpredictable. Around my school, it is sometimes the availability of technology that can be unpredictable. There isn't always an Epson projector or DVD player available to check out when you need one, and sometimes computer lab space is really hard to get (we only have two open labs for the whole school during third hour because there are so many computer class offered that hour). We certainly have alot of great technology available in our district, but I sometimes find myself envious of teacher who have it installed in thier classroom full time!
ReplyDeleteRyan, I really like your comment on how multimedia helps kids think differently and positively engages them. To me that is the one and only reason why people should use technology not just multimedia. My kids are crazy if you don't do something fun and engaging. So am I for that matter. If its' not fun for me it is definitely not fun for them.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on budget issues. I think we're going to have to pink slip some teachers so I'm pretty sure we'll have no money for technology in any compacity.
Engagement of the student who is used to using so many of these multimedia technologies at the same time is truly a challenge for the classroom teacher today. Availability of the resources and their being able to work properly is another. We currently do not have the availability of many of the multimedia tools you speak of at our small charter school and many of our teachers do not have the training to create and use even simple power point applications. I hear so often that the time spent on creating multimedia applications is just too much. Knowing that our students are more and more accessing multimedia outside of school, makes what we are doing in school archaic and boring to them. The integration of multimedia and finding the funds to purchase more will be the directive of the Woodmont technology team.
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