Chapter 11: Audiovisual Technologies

An audio technology that I would implement in my classroom would be the oral journals. I think that they have endless possibilities for English students, particularly in courses that focus on the more creative side of English, such as poetry, plays, and stories. Here is an example of how I could utilize oral journals: I would assign students to write a poetry, or a story or play, about people they find on the streets. They would have to walk around town with their tape recorder, and make observations about what they see, and hear, smell, etc. Then, using all of this information, they would have to write a story. Perhaps the old couple sitting on the bench in the park feeding pigeons just got back form a safari in Madagascar. The ability to record your thoughts as you have them would be an invaluable resource.

A visual resource that I would utilize would be the practice of creating and maintaing a bulletin board. This way, students could be constantly kept apprised of what is going on in the class, such as upcoming homework assignments, due dates, extra credit opportunities, and things like that. Students could take turns decorating the bulletin board, improving student participation and their investment in class.

There are also emerging technologies that will also be useful in the classroom. For audio purposes, iPods would be a useful resource in the classroom, because students could listen to podcasts, or song lyrics, which is a modern form of poetry.

For visual purposes, students could use iPads, which would be a great way for students to interact. Such as the handheld microscope activity that we completed during the initial stations that we did at the beginning of the course.

Chapter 6: Digital Technologies in the Classroom

Based on the information provided in Chapter 6 of our textbooks, I would prefer to work in a classroom with more digital technologies, as opposed to less, because I feel that I would be presented with a wider variety of possibilities and opportunities while I teach. Certainly, I would not rely entirely on technology, because there are always malfunctions and viruses, and such, but the opportunities far outweigh the possible risks. By utilizing available technologies, I would be able to reach out to students with a wide variety of learning styles. For visual learners, an output technology such as a data projector, or an input technology, such as an electronic whiteboard, would help them the most. For auditory learners, utilizing speakers and microphones would allow them to be read passages of textbooks. Also, for students who learn best by doing things themselves, graphic tablets would be a valuable resource in the classroom, as well as touch screens. As a hopeful high school English teacher, I would definitely make use of electronic whiteboards, because I could edit a paper in front of the students and show them different writing techniques. Also, technology would help promote communication between the teacher, students, and parents, through online grade books and such. I think that technology can really enhance the learning experience of a student, and I would definitely enjoy the chance to utilize those technologies in my classroom.