...benefits of using technology in the classroom...

Bookends of War and Inside Kapunahala are two great examples of how to integrate technology into the classroom. I was most impressed by the students and the benefits they felt from having technology in their classroom. Some of the comments students made in Bookends of War about their experiences were that it was FUN, it allowed them to work together with a group, it taught them that even though something is hard, they can keep trying and succeed. One student said "it helps us show what we mean and see," another said, "we get used to doing things that we might have to use or do in our future jobs. The teacher also expressed the benefits she saw, that it made them eager to come to class, they were willing to help, and it galvanized them. I also loved in the second clip, the students' growth from being involved with media literacy. A few of the students said that it helped them really gain knowledge about what they were learning, it gave them confidence, they expressed excitement, they felt that what they were doing was important, it gave them a specific role to fulfill, and it helped them develop their speaking ability which allowed them to participate more in the classroom. There are definitely a lot of benefits I can see from using technology effectively in the class.