We took an excursion to Edith Bowen Lab School this morning to visit Mr. Johnson. He showed us how he has been using his class set of IPods to in rotations for audio books, educational videos, and as a way to differentiate his instruction. He puts in the extra hours it takes to research out technology options, applications, and stay current on research while conducting his own. In addition to that he studies a lot of educational publications and blogs to learn about grants and awards that they can apply for to get what they need for the school. He isn't afraid to mention to his parents that instead of giving him mugs, scented candles, etc. for Christmas gifts that they can give him ITunes gift cards for him to buy audio books. He attends bookfairs, goes to stores like Boardars, and tells people he is talking to that he is trying to gather this stuff for his classroom and he has gotten good deals on it as well as some given to him for free.
It is obvious the students enjoy his class. He provides the resources, gives a brief explanation, answers questions, and allows them to discover the possibilities on their own. I would really like to provide similar opportunities for my classroom by putting in the extra hours finding technology and allowing students to use it to enhance their learning.
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