Use of Technology in the classroom—

Initially before taking this class on integrating technology in the classroom, I was not sure nor was I aware of any other ways to use technology in the classroom apart from power point presentations or the overhead projector. This class has taught me so many things right from starting a blog to using visual maps, concept maps, podcasts, wikis, and you name it.

I always thought teaching should not be restricted to the classroom and the traditional teacher speaking and students listening methods, but was unsure of how I could go about it. This class has almost opened doors for me and I am thankful to my husband Kedar who told me that I should take this class.

Teaching and learning process can be made so much fun with the use of technology and why not, when I can see everyone using ipods and laptops and other fancy gadgets around me. The students in fact are more aware of technology than we grown-ups are and I think we should make the best out of it. It is not easy to use technology in order to integrate it into the curriculum, but trust me it is not impossible.

Then there are some creative minds who have really put in so much for us to study and follow in our own plans with our own modifications and use. Personally, I think technology not only helps the learning process, but also makes it a fun way of learning. For example, if I am planning to teach a Shakespearean drama to a High school class, I can actually create a story maps, concept maps, and use power points and even an entire web page full of activities for the kids to make it interesting otherwise Shakespeare can be overwhelming for children.

For any play, you can actually explain the themes, symbols, plot, characters, and story line in a power point presentation for kids to provide a background of the play. I feel that the original text is extremely important in the teaching of Literature but still I feel that taking some help of modern techniques is not harmful, right?

You can also make the children do some presentations about the clothing style during that period or lifestyle and the theaters where the plays were enacted just to help them understand the setting and also help them to relate to that background.