Technology in the Classroom 1. Observe the teacher and/or students using technology as part of a lesson.

Describe the role of technology in the lesson. (Did the technology support the curriculum and objectives? Is the technology age appropriate? Does it support different learning styles and abilities? Are the students engaged with the technology or just passive recipients? Is the teacher well-prepared to use the technology? Does he/she give up when faced with a problem?) a. The teacher used the Smartboard to play videos about the life cycle of a frog. Throughout the video, the teacher would pause and point out different parts of the life cycle. The students were engaged in the video that showed how the frog develops in the four stages of its life cycle. Their learning from the technology was evident through the class discussion after the video where students recalled information from the video. The videos on the Smartboard were appropriate for the students developmental level. Although the students are in 4th and 5th grade, they are on a lower level academically due to their emotional and behavioral disorders. Therefore, this video was appropriate for their structured classroom. The teacher was prepared to use this technology through his abilities to turn on the Smartboard and by getting the website approved by the school internet prior to this lesson. When the Smartboard doesnt work in other lessons, the teacher will try to resolve the problem quickly. If he cannot resolve the Smartboard issue quickly, he

2. Describe the technology in the classroom. (What kinds of technology are in the classroom? How is it used? How does the teacher ensure all students have access to the technology? How is the classroom physically arranged? Do you see any student projects? Describe these.) a. There is a Smartboard and computer station in the classroom. The Smartboard is used for interactive games during morning work, PowerPoints, class notes on a flipchart, or to play videos. With the computer station, the students play educational games and take AR tests. All of the students are able to use the computers and Smartboard if the teacher allows them to. The Smartboard is at the front of the room and the computer station is on the side of the room next to a row of desks. Due to the great amount of structure required in this special education classroom and the academic level of students, I did not see any student projects with technology. 3. How does the teacher assess the students use of technology? If the teacher does not assess, why not? How might you assess the students use of technology? a. The teacher does not assess the students use of technology because there are no assessments with technology. If I were to assess the students use of technology, I would assess their ability to find common educational websites for the computer, their keyboarding skills, and their knowledge of the different parts of a computer. 4. Describe other types of technology available in other locations besides the classroom. (If there is a computer lab, describe the area. Where is it located? How does a teacher get access to the

lab? How available is the lab? How is it physically arranged? Can technology be borrowed from the media center, the district office, etc? Is technology available in a centralized workroom, etc.?) a. There is no computer lab in the school.

5. What kind of technology is available in the classroom or elsewhere in the school that might help accommodate a student with special needs? a. Students with special needs use communication devices and ipads to communicate. 6. What does the teacher do if he/she needs help with technology? What resources are available for trouble-shooting? What training and professional development opportunities are provided? a. The teacher asks for help from another teacher on the hall. The teachers go to training and meetings either after school throughout the year or during the summer.