Technology in the Classroom
Sunday, July 3rd, 2005Interactive technology allows teachers to extend the reach of the classroom as well as allowing students in remote areas to participate in the learning environment. However, critics say that by interacting through technology, instead of face to face, an important part of the educational experience is lost. An interview with Pat Kertzer, teacher at the Florida Virtual School, provides another side to the argument. Kertzer says that teachers can actually have a “more personal relationship” with the students through virtual interaction than in the classroom. Through online and phone contact you can identify student’s weaknesses “much more quickly than in the regular classroom,” says Kertzer, “because I’m able to deal with them only when I’m working with them.” For other examples of effective technology integration, take a look at Highschool.com,
a documentary from Edutopia.org.