November 2005 — Kids on Technology
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The Enrichments of Rich Media
Although, admittedly, these are not the most educationally sound uses of rich media, they are great sources of entertainment during my free time. Although rich media is used in school, I have gained most of my knowledge and skill with computers and technology on my own, simply by using them all the time. By using any given media program whenever I can, I develop a better understanding of it because I must solve any problems I encounter on my own—therefore, further increasing my technological skills. If I were to call up tech support every time I had a problem with something, I would never learn anything on my own, as well as never grow to enjoy working with technology as much as I do.
If I decide to become a teacher, technology will be at the heart of my teaching methods, and one of the technologies I’m sure I’ll use is a SMART Board (from SMART Technologies; http://www.smarttech.com) to help me impart information to my students. This interactive tool is a great connection between teaching and technology: What looks like a simple whiteboard is actually a screen with which a teacher—using a laptop and projector connected to the board—can retrieve and interact with any information via the click of a mouse. As a result, the student grows much more engaged in the lesson. Importantly, the device is very easy to use—even for a teacher!
Today, in fact, the everyday student knows much more about computers, technology, and various media devices than the ordinary teacher. But the classroom can be disrupted when a teacher is trying to teach a lesson with technology and d'esn’t know how to properly operate it without a student’s assistance. Students lose focus on the lesson and redirect their attention to the teacher’s issue with the computer or other device.
Even with our limited technology budget, the means to have every student gain the technological know-how he needs to succeed in higher education is in place—but the drive on the student’s part isn’t always there. A teacher can be adept at the use of rich media and put a student in front of a computer or a SMART Board every day, but if the student d'esn’t want to learn it, nothing will be accomplished. However, the motivated student will have his education enriched by a teacher who opens up the classroom to all the things that the newest technology can offer.
My Favorite Online Rich-Media Resources
- Exploratorium: Digital Library http://www.exploratorium.edu/educate/dl.html
The various collections in this online library include digital media and digitized museum materials related to interactive exhibits and scientific phenomena. - Digital Edge Learning Interchange http://ali.apple.com/ali_sites/deli
An online library featuring National Board Certified Teachers in exhibits of exemplary teaching. Each exhibit includes an introduction, lesson plan, video clips, student work samples, assessment tools, resources, research, and teacher reflection. - NCAM Rich-Media Accessibility http://ncam.wgbh.org/richmedia/tools
Contains links to available players, authoring tools, and other tools that are useful for making rich media accessible.
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