Courtney, Reflection 6

http://www.edutopia.org/video/movie.php?reset=cookie&keyword=137&id=Art_1029

I found this video case very interesting. The video covered the technology that a high school in Mississippi uses in science and math classes, and how the technology integrates the students' own personal interests and hobbies. Because the technology used involves the students and their favorite pasttimes, I feel that it would be easier to learn about physics and other difficult subjects since students are integrating their own interests.
The school uses many types of technologies, the most prominent probably being video cameras. The video cameras were used in physics classes to find rates of acceleration, etc. The school also uses laptop computers with probes, graphing calculators, GPS systems, and "e-clicks." the "e-clicks" are used in classrooms for trivia-type reviews and what is beneficial about these is that the teachers can go back and look at the answers the students give to see who is struggling and where. Then they can go back and review that specific topic so that the students are not left behind and confused.
The technology in this video was both teacher-centered as well as student-centered because both the teachers and students use them. The teachers use them for teaching purposes, as well as designing lessons for their students, and the students use them to evaluate different topics in various subjects.
I do agree that technology can make the lessons more engaging, however I also feel that integrating technology can sometimes be distracting to the students, as well as the teachers. It can be hindering to both the teacher and the student because sometimes it may be hard to see where students are struggling, and it can be hard for the student to figure out where he/she is falling behind.
In designing a lesson, the teacher has to think about the technology as well as the curriculum. The teacher would have to think about whether the integration of certain technology is at the correct level for the students. The teacher would also have to think about whether the technology is appropriate for the specific topic they are covering. Integrating certain technologies can be beneficial, but only if it coincides with the students' academic levels, as well as cooperating with the curriculum.
I would use technologies that have features where you can monitor your students' progress and understanding of the topics covered so that I would be able to see who is struggling and/or who needs more difficult material.
Advantages of using technology is that students become more familiar with different types of technologies, as well as different features of technologies that they already regularly use. It also prepares them for later on in life when they might have to use technologies daily, depending on their careers.
The challenges that teachers and students face are that sometimes the technology will not work. There could also be the instance when neither the teacher nor the student knows how to work the technology, which can cause problems in the lesson.