hilary reflection 6

http://www.edutopia.org/video/movie.php?reset=cookie&keyword=137&id=Art_955

This video was about personal digital assistnads (PDA's). Students at a school in chicago used it to organize their homework and papers, and they used it while they were in class. One class used their PDA by dropping a probe in a pond to test the temperature differences. The PDA created a live graph for the students to look. I think the PDA is student centered and teacher centered because it students use it to organize homework, worksheets and for experiments, while teachers can use it to give out assignments for the students to have. This technology does make the lesson more engaging because the students are able to work with electronics which is more interesting than working with pen and paper. Also, the students are able to share their answers with the teacher and other students which is another way for them to communicate with one another. From a technological standpoint the teacher would need to know exaclty how the PDA works so that she and her students are able to get them most use out of it. Also, the teacher needs to think about how they can implement the PDA into her lessons so that all of the students are benfitting from it. To access student performance the teacher can see how well the students are answering the homework questions given on the PDA, and also how much the students are engaging in the lectures. One major advantage of this technology is the benefit it has for students with learning disabilities. The students are able to organize better and they feel more professional with the work they complete. Some challenges are problems with the technology not working properly, the students forgetting to bring it to school, or not having a strong idea of how the technology works.