Week in the Classroom “Who’s Teaching Who?: Are We Ready” Strand: Week in The Classroom Presented by: Chris Kaminski Presentation Date: October 24, 2006 URL Reviewed By: Kim Kammerdiener

Summary ž This presentation was a discussion of how technology is implemented in the classroom as well as how it impacts education in general. Even though funding can sometimes be problematic, technology is a positive force in schools. There are some people who believe that future education will be mainly through technology such as on-line classes for a majority of students however; most people do not believe that the traditional classroom will ever be replaced. Technology has already had a great impact in the classroom by the use of on-line programs that allow parents to stay in constant contact with the teacher and view a students grades as they become available. Technology will allow more freedom for students to expand beyond the classroom walls by means of pod casting and blogging.

Questions / Ideas ž This was a good presentation; however, it did not cover some of the topics that I thought would be covered. It only talked about how technology is presently impacting classrooms. I was hoping for more direction on how I as a teacher could utilize technology in more creative ways.

Personal / Professional Growth ž I currently use a limited amount of technology in my classroom but I have never really thought about the doors that technology has opened in just the past 10 years. The communication between teachers, parents, and students alone is a great achievement in effective communication. I am presently working on using more technology as well as better utilizing the technology I already have.

Applications ž This presentation did inspire me to offer more assignments that can utilize a broader array of technology. I am planning a personality profile study for my study skills students and they will be able to present in a variety of applications. I am also planning a mole day project for my chemistry students which I have opened the possibility of pod casting and on line cartooning. I am going to try and set up a weekly new letter that the parents and students can access online to keep everyone informed of things going on in my classroom.