Reflection

Technology and multimedia resources contribute positively to the elementary language arts instructional approach in the following ways… Technology has given teachers the ability to make instruction fun and interactive. Today's generation revolves around the computer, television and video games. By bringing technology into the classroom, teachers can connect with there students in a level that was not possible before. In a Social Studies class, instead of simply talking about the pyramids they can use the smart board to access websites that give indepth interactive guides that intrigue the children. Teachers can use Skype to introduce someone from a foreign country to the class. Technology is helping the teacher take the children to educational heights that were not easily accesible before.

Technology tools can be used to assess students in alternative ways. What are some examples of how a teacher can employ technology to assist with alternative methods of assessment/evaluation of students' language, literacy, and academic content understanding? In my SSE class we used what appeared to be palm pilots and the teacher had questions posted on the smart board. She would display the question and we had an allotted time to answer it. Once we input our answer we would go to the next question, and at the end of the assessment our scores were tallied. This would be great to use after a lesson to see what the students understood and what concepts they were still unsure about. Having websites as great as this Wiki, we can use this for our students at home evaluate their understanding of a concept and to also have the parents actively involved and participate as well. 