Today we had Karen Lirenman from the Vancouver school district video call into our class. She shared her personal experiences as to why educators should be a strong advocate for using technology in the classroom. Some of the key points that resonated with me were that technology allows students to show what they know in ways that work the best for them. Technology gives us the ability to learn in so many different ways apart from using textbooks and show what we have learned in so many different ways. Also, when we are using technology nothing is set in stone, there is always an undo button which is very important for children. This is important because it shows children that it is okay to make mistakes and that there is a way to fix those mistakes. Technology also allows learners to connect with the world. There are many ways you can incorporate this into a classroom. For example, having a pen pal or doing an alphabet exchange across various cities or even countries. The wow moment for me was when Karen mentioned that the use of technology is different in the classroom then it is at home. At home, technology is used for consumption (e.g. watching Netflix) and at school, technology is used for creating (e.g. math journal). I am very curious to use the app, Book Creator. I have never heard of this app before but Karen mentioned how it can be used for all grade levels and allows students to write, use their voice, and images in different ways; hence, it is accessible to various student needs.
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