Appropriate applications used to support my teaching, and why

In my teaching practice, I have used the following applications;

Microsoft Word for assisting with essay writing and academic referencing. Word allows me to double check all my spelling and punctuation, which is very useful in my case.

PowerPoint for short presentations and hand-outs. An easy to use program, and a great way of presenting information and visual references.

Wordle, to stimulate creative thinking, and as a hand-out. I hadn't heard of this before, but have since used this application for my own personal learning, and in a lesson.

Pinterest - the digital mood board generator, or 'visual discovery tool'. I absolutely love this program, such a great way of collecting a images and ideas.

I appreciate that IT is progressing at a rapid rate, and that as teachers we need to get on board with this revolution and not shy away from getting involved. I myself enjoy learning about new resources that can be used to benefit the students, but I do feel that technology definitely has a time and place within a classroom. The way that IT is taught within a classroom setting is important. The tutor should strive to 'allow students to take initiative, make decisions and maintain a degree of autonomy over learning' (Kennewell, 2010). There has been a couple of occasions during my teacher placement, where learners have become frustrated or disinterested when using the computer. As teachers we need to be mindful of the different abilities of our students, and find ways of providing additional support for those who most need it.

The applications listed above have been very useful and the learners have found these to be useful also. I found an interesting quote by the co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, who reflects on how technology can be used within education. He states that 'Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important'. I agree with him, technology does have a time and a place within education, but should not take the place of the teacher.

Reflecting upon my own experiences of teaching on the Foundation Art and Design course, the focus is predominantly work shop based and promoting active learning. The tutors also encourage students to self-direct their own work load, and explore through experimentation and research. There are computers around the studio, mostly used for the internet, but no designated area for IT. An overhead projector is can be used for guest lectures and project announcements. With a lack of space and facilities, using group assessment Apps such as Socrative or Nearpod would prove difficult.

Kennewell, S. (2010) Analysing the impact of information technology on activity and learning. Edited by Anne McDougall, John Murnane, Anthony Jones and Nick Reynolds, Abingdon: Routledge.