Week 2: ‘Embodied learning’ blends lessons with student-computer interaction

 Another thought into technology education...

Link to Article

      Finding an article that incorporates English as a Second Language and technology is very difficult.  I was not sure if there was anything that we have already discussed that might lend itself towards a better understanding of using technology for us as future teachers.  Technology can help plenty of students, but what types of technology are beneficial towards those of us who plan to teach English as a Second Language.
 
While searching for an article to do for a literature review, I was not sure exactly what I wanted to read about.  I was trying to see if there was an article that discussed teaching English as a Second Language in correlation with using technology.  I guess I had to settle for an article that took place back home in Pennsylvania.  First of all, "getting into a lesson" regardless of working with ESL students or not.  We need to be able to make sure that students find a way to get involved and interested in whatever we are teaching them.  So, what if students actually and quite literally "got into a lesson."  According to the article I read, students in Pennsylvania are actually doing that.   Using technology known as "SMALLab Learning"  students utilize a projector, motion-sensor cameras, and a computer to do this.  Using trial-and-error methodology students can figure out why certain things happen.  Imagine the possibilities of doing this in a chemistry class or a physics class.  The software and capability for doing this was created out at the University of Arizona.

    Technology such as this can help students to feel like they can get more involved and more interested in what they are learning.  We want students to feel like they can get do things that they get involved with.  Using technology gives students the opportunity to learn differently than they usually think that they can.  This type of technology that these students use will promote more active learning.  We want students to be participating in classes and not sitting idly by while we are attempting to teach them our lessons.         

    When we are able to we will teach our students the capability to work with such technology so that they can utilize this so that they can learn better.  Using content instruction we can give students an opportunity to work with this type of technology and help them to learn how technology can impact their learning.  There are so many ways that we can utilize these in helping our students to learn.  We just need to take the time to learn this technology ourselves so that we can help our students to use it in the best way possible.

    This article relates to future plans of mine as an educator.  I hope to use technology such as this in my future endeavors as a teacher.  This type of technology is more so geared towards science and mathematics courses.  However, I would like to be able to use anything that makes my students feel like they can participate more comfortably.  Anything that can make this situation easier for students is a great benefit.  Students need to be given any opportunity they can to learn new things that will help them to teach others that may be struggling.

    This is hard to say because I have not had any direct teaching practice.  I do not understand how we as students are going to be able to answer this question since some of us have not even been in a classroom yet.  I do not know if my students will benefit or find that technology such as this will serve as a disadvantage towards our students.

    This is a type of technology that can effectively promote student learning. It would hopefully help students to be more engaged in the classroom.  It would give them the opportunity to participate in various aspects of the learning experience.  It would actually make learning FUN, something that few students (particularly the age group I plan to work with) feel like doing.