In what way would you like to improve as a teacher? How do you think this course will help you to improve?
One of the biggest problems I personally have as a teacher in Korea is incorporating technology into my classes. I have been teaching English as an ESL teacher in Korea for the past ten years and I feel that my teaching method hasn't really changed much or improved. I mostly use whiteboards and Microsoft word. This is due to my lack of knowledge with computers and unfamiliarity with the utilization of multimedia. I am hoping this course will help me to improve as a teacher as I learn more about blogging, twitter, prezi etc and how to use these in my classes with my students. At times in my classes I feel many of my students are more computer savvy than I am and I often have to ask a student for assistance.
I am hoping that this course helps me to understand different teaching methods using multimedia and how I can implement them into my classes. I mostly teach university students in a classroom setting and some methods such as using prezi or using multimedia could be quite helpful. Other times I teach elementary school children so using different multimedia tools like smartphones and YouTube could be more useful.
At the conclusion of this course I hope to be a more well-rounded teacher who can use technology in a productive way in my classes. I wish to create the best assignments possible for my students. I feel this will help me to become a more confident and effective 21st century teacher.
I think that incorporating media and technology tools will also help your students engage more and maybe perk their interest as you said you only use books and the whiteboard most of the time. Also I’m sure most of the students have seen many Powerpoint presentations, but Prezi might be new to most of them. I really like think using smartphones for elementary school children is a great idea, as kids that age are really into using their phones. The only problem I see with this is that many of them don’t have smartphones, but just have regular phones instead, as parents might find it too expensive to buy top end phones for their kids. If they ALL have access to smartphones, it could definitely be a great tool to use in the classrooms.
ReplyDeleteImproving as a teacher technologically is definitely a great direction to move. I also am focusing on that. The first thing I will implement in my class is using Google Drive to make handouts and assignments digitally available. I have a power point that helps to explain how, you and the students can set up the Google Drive for your class.
ReplyDeleteAs far as implementing technology in the classroom at Bucheon University, I think it will just depend on the classroom you are using. However, I find a lot of the classrooms are getting updated.
Tristan, I know we are all in this beautiful Bucheon University boat together and I feel your pain...the 'randomness' of available tech in the classrooms is always an issue for me. I really like using ppts and the like but currently I am full-on paper. I think our students will/would really appreciate more technology and I hope with B.U. moving to a 4 year University the technology in the classrooms will get updated. I can certainly appreciate your enthusiasm to improve and your openness to try new things. Keep fighting the good fight!
ReplyDeleteTristan, I feel the same. I think our students would really appreciate more tech in the classroom but unfortunately we are all stuck in the same beautiful Bucheon University boat. I know that it is hit-n-miss when it comes to having a usable computer in the classroom but I hope that with BU moving towards a 4 year university there might be an 'upgrade' to the computers. I am a full-on paper user right now and would love to use more technology in my classes. I can certainly appreciate your desire to improve your teaching and move towards a more paper-free structure. Keep up the good fight!
ReplyDeleteI agree Tristan. I'm guessing that most, if not all of us feel the same way as you do.
ReplyDeleteI have found that using music videos on youtube that show lyrics is a good way of driving the point home. For example, when teaching 2nd conditional to my students I explain about its meaning/ use referring to impossible / improbable situations, I show them Beyonce's video "If I Were a Boy". It is such a great example of 2nd conditional and in a context they can relate to.
It's a great way of using multimedia as a teaching aid.
After reading the post and comments, it seems that the direction to go is to utilize cell phones to increase engagement. They are the one tool it seems you can count on in your classes, so I recommend working towards leveraging them. This class isn't about computers, it is about creative teaching and multimedia.
ReplyDeleteTristan, I understand how you feel about not being able to use multimedia in your classroom due to lack of unfamiliarity. I am experiencing the same problem. You show a good attitude to want to learn new methods and ways, on how to improve your teaching . I think the various tools and techniques you will learn from this course will help you to achieve your goal of becoming a more well rounded teacher.
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