There are numerous wonderful new technological advances in how a teacher can share information with families. Email has become a fantastic communication system, especially now that so many parents will receive the email instantly to their cell phone. Many schools will also have individual links to teacher websites/blogs directly on the school website. It has been in my experience so far as a parent that teachers do not use their websites often. Text messaging is another mean of communication that has been growing in popularity over the last few years. The school district and individual schools can use text messaging as a way to reach parents immediately in the event of a situation at the school, school closings, PTA information, inclement weather, even smaller reasons like fundraisers and school activities. There are also apps that teachers can use in the classroom to reach parents. I have mentioned before about the SeeSaw app, the teacher uses the app to send updates directly to the parents chosen method. Social media is also a tool that is widely used. My son had a teacher who made a private Facebook page for her class and we loved it. All of these newer forms of communication are amazing but we are still somewhat stuck between old and new. Although I receive everything from my sons teacher through email, she also still writes in his notebook and sends home weekly newsletters. I feel that this place we are caught between must be difficult for teachers. Instead of having one universal mean of communication they are putting out the same information 2 or even 3 different ways. The main reason for that is because not every family has the finances to have computers or cell phones. Some families choose not to use cell phones and computers all together. We are progressing everyday and I would like to believe that the gap is slowly closing.
Differentiated Instruction
Multiple learning abilities was not something that I had ever given much thought to when I imagined myself as a teacher. I have always understood that people learn differently. I am hands on, while some of my friends can listen or read to absorb information. Honestly, the thought of having to teach using strategies outside of my comfort zone was scary. The second lesson that I taught a 4th grade classroom, as a student teacher, I worked hard on planning. I focused solely on making sure that I could accommodate each learning style in my lesson. I had a hands-on project, a song to sing, a story to write, a short lecture, and a review sheet. It was really amazing to see first hand the different learning styles, watching which students fell behind or excelled in each style was intriguing. It definitely opened me up to seeing how successful of a classroom one can have using differentiated instruction. It also made me realize what was lacking in some of the classrooms that I grew up in.
Interactive Whiteboards
Interactive whiteboards, or Smartboards (as I know them) are such fun learning tools with many possibilities. Teachers are given a quick and effective way to glide through lessons. My sons teacher is able to load their Math textbook straight to the board and use it's touch screen abilities to slide, tap or draw. What I think will be great to have when I am a teacher is the ability to load images, access the internet or add PowerPoint presentations. An interactive whiteboard can be what you want it to be. I know some teachers who use it heavily, allowing students to use it and using it for individual or group work. I also know some teachers who do not really allow students to touch it or use it in any "outside of the box" ways. FlipQuiz is a fun website that allows teachers to create a quiz board that can be much like "Jeopardy". Displaying this type of review quiz or game on your interactive whiteboard would be a great tool to get students talking and learning.
References
Wood, B. (2016, March 09). The Water Cycle By: Barwood07. Retrieved March 09, 2016, from http://flipquiz.me/u/barwood07/the-water-cycle
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
