Edmodo

About Edmodo:
Edmodo is a social learning network for students, teachers, and parents. A teacher creates a group for each class and distributes the group code to each student. Once connected, students can write posts to classmates, teachers, and parents and upload media as well as view grades, submit assignments, and receive teacher feedback, features sites such as BlackBoard and Moodle utilize. The Edmodo community combines the efforts of students, parents, teachers, and school districts to help education appeal to students’ ever-increasing technological tastes. Edmodo is an addition to the classroom that will promote learning all hours of the day.
Edmodo.com

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Prezi Presentation: 

Edmodo on Prezi

The SMART Board (Pros)

The SMART board has begun to find its way into classrooms across the country, especially as the growth of technology heightens. The SMART board is essentially a modern day projector that connects itself with a computer inside of the classroom. Whatever is projected on the computer’s screen is also projected on to the SMART board; however, with this board, the teacher is able to do much more. This board is touch screen and can be operated by one’s finger or the pen provided with the board. Therefore, a teacher can open a presentation created on the computer, make notes on top, record the presentation, and then email the notes to the class. This could potentially allow students to focus more on class involvement than writing the notes down since the teacher can send them out to the class. The SMART board provides amazing opportunities educationally. First, the board provides interactive learning. Children in the classroom are able to work on this board while the rest of the class is engaged. Essentially, the board is the modern dry-erase or chalkboard. Secondly, this board uses multimedia to adapt to all learning styles. Sound bytes, pictures, videos, lectures, and text are all available for use on this board. Third, this board only requires one computer that operates with Windows software, so educators do not have to spend too much money on computers for the entire class. All that is needed is a simple PC. In order to be adaptable in our education, schools will begin to implement technology into the classrooms in big or small ways, and this board is a great way to do so.

In The Proust and the Squid, Wolf expresses her concerns about the implications associated with the rapid growth technology. She questions that the rapidity associated with technological growth may cause humans to find less satisfaction in reading long text and may have attention issues. Oppositely, she proposes the ideas that because of technology’s fast-paced style, humans may be able to complete tasks more quickly and, in turn, spend more time on in-depth thought. Secondly, people may become better at multi-tasking (Wolf 214). The educational opportunities provided by the SMART board both appease Wolf’s worries as well as support her positive implications. Because the SMART board is used for educational purposes, it’s a great way to bridge the gap between a non-technological world and an entirely technological one. As we move forward, classrooms will have to adapt to at least some form of technology, as it is relevant to today’s real world. However, this board still allows children to learn proper reading skills as well as learn to use technology to complement their learning styles. If used properly, this device can only support children’s learning needs.