Technology Savvy Classrooms

Teachers are now integrating technology into their classrooms by using forms of social media and online learning systems. Today more students are required to submit their assignments on Black Board and communicate with their teachers through email. Although technology is speedy and convenient, is it a hindrance to the classroom?

The University of Mississippi’s English professor Wendy Goldberg is one of many teachers who has transformed the learning environment in order to adapt to the technological savvy world we live in today.

“It can be a hit or miss. It is not an automatic win to use technology,” she says.

Through the use of Jimdo, Google Sites, and discussion boards; Goldberg has efficiently integrated learning with technology. She explains that the task is not appearing to be cool to the students; instead contextualize the social media sites into the lesson, and students will respond better to the changes.

Using the internet in the classroom can take away from the learning environment. The teacher becomes more of an organizer whether than a teacher. Their main objective becomes setting dates, goals for the students to follow whether than being a dispenser of the information.

Goldberg requires her student to be activating participants. To overcome the communication barrier, each student is required to schedule meetings with her before all major assignments and to participate in group activities. She also requires them to use discussion boards, so there will be more student participation.

“What works with students really well is Jimdo,” she says. “I think they enjoy it the most.”

Jimdo is a blog where businesses or persons can socialize and display information. Goldberg uses Jimdo to introduce her students to different forms of media. During the year, each student is required to write a research paper on a topic of their choice. The students then team up into groups and use Jimdo to collectively and creatively display their paper on a blog.

Although Goldberg uses the internet as a major tool in her classroom, it is a facilitator and not a factor. The use of learning sites and emails helps her to be more available to her students.

“In the past I’ve actually chatted with students online to go over papers and answer questions,” she says.

Any teacher can learn from Goldberg's efforts to efficiently integrate the classroom with technology. It does not hinder her students, but instead it enhances their learning experience.