Chapter Nine Journal

Focus Question

1) What is multimedia technology and how can teachers use it to effectively create and share visual information dynamically in their teachings?

Multimedia technology is "combing multiple media -text, data, voice picture, and video - in a single applications or technology" (217). Teachers can use this effectively by creating powerpoints, or adding podcasts to their lesson allowing students to hear and see many different forms and opinions on information. They can also ask for their school to buy interactive whiteboards which will help the students who just can't stay seated during lesson move around and pay more attention. 

Tech Tool 9.1 page 222

Digital Projectors and Document Cameras

Document cameras are something that I have grown up in school with. I have seen them progress over the years. Before document cameras we had overhead projectors which had a copy of our worksheet or a blank page that we would get to volunteer to wash after we were done using them. From those days in elementary school, we moved to Elmo document cameras. It was the same concept, just no washing needed. These devices also came with an interactive whiteboard which made all the students pay more attention hoping that they would be picked to draw on the board. Moving through the grades, and different school, I have gotten to see how teachers use the document cameras in different ways. 

In my own classroom I plan on using a document camera for the students daily warm-ups. Rather than having to print out a warm up for each of them, I'd rather save the paper and make them have a journal. This also gives me the chance to bring in more books or pictures that I can't get onlline and bring them in for the students to see through the document camera. 

 

Above is the older version of a document projector that I started off using back in elementary school.

Technology Equipment in Classrooms. (2014). 

Summary 

This chapter is all about explaining multimedia and the parts it can serve in the classroom. Within the first few pages the textbook seems to focus on how this approach can be used for science lessons and experiments. I think that it is strange that the authors didn't mentions the other ways teachers use this technology until page four pages in. However,the textbook finally mentions what some of these multimedia technologies are on page 220. The three they talk about are digital projectors, document cameras, and PowerPoint. All of these programs I am very firmiliar with, so I won't spend too much time on them in this summary. These are technologies that are used to present information to a large group of students. Teahcers are using the computer to create a presentation for their student when they use PowerPoint, and sometimes even with a digital projectors. The document camera is for when the teachers want to focus on a object, or even worksheet, and want everyone to see it. All of these are great tools when it comes to teaching.

Then for the next few pages it talks about how teachers can format their PowerPoints to help their students and get the most information across to them. After this the textbook talks about videos, on page 225. Videos get students excited. No matter what age or grade, as soon as you find out your teacher won't be talking, you are a happy camper. So student interest increasing when using this tool. There is also a great number for videos, clips, and movies about different subjects, so they won't get boring over time. Finally it is a unique way to teach your students something. The textbook mentioned how it could be used for Macbeth, when debating how people act as Macbeth, or what is happening in the scene in general. Another great video source is your own students, who can creat a video just as well as anyone else. Thus how we get on the topic of YouTube.

Then we are given tips, which have been drilled into me for years by my own teachers so, I think we can skip to the next subject, why photo-taking and movie-making can be helpful. Well according to this textbook there are four major reasons given to us on page 229. It engages students, it forces them into documenting learning as well as active learning, and finally it starts their information creation sides. They can do this through digital cameras which are simply and easy to use. 

Finally to end the chapter we discuss podcasts and vodcasts. These can be very helpful for the same reasons any type of videos are helpful. However these can also be made byteh a tudents for other students, or even by their own teacher. On page page 235 it talks about the pros of podcasting or vodcasting which includes letting the teacher listen to themself so they know what they can improve on.

References:

Technology Equipment in Classrooms. (2014). Retrieved from https://tech.msu.edu/classroom-technology/classroom-equipment.php

Textbook- Maloy, Robert, Verock-O'Loughlin, Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.