CREATIVITY IN TECHNOLOGY AND ENGLISH EDUCATION

Candice Roe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

•Why creative technologies can improve English in education•What technologies aide in improvements•How teachers can benefit from using these technologies in the classroom•Conclusion•Works Cited

WH

Y???

•There is a saying called “Practice Makes Perfect” that I believe that goes along with what I am saying about technology and using it today to help kids.

• Using technology to perfect and practice their writing skills is wonderfully easy with the computers programs available. Some kids even find it easier to write on the computer than on paper.

•Unlike earlier generations, kids are growing up with using computers and know how to use them, now they need to learn how to use them to be creative and also help them with their writing and overall education.

What technology to use to help improve skills

Blogs are web based journal types of writings. People write on all kinds of subjects and genres that they are very common now.

“Blogging is based on the constructivist theory of learning, which emphasizes a social or situated process of learning and personal construction of knowledge, including modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. Blogging can be used to build a "community diary" around a large project in which a group of learners can establish and maintain thoughts and share their insights.”-Lucking,R., Christmann,E., Wighting,M.

“The interactive and collaborative nature of blogs is really very appealing to the inquisitive and adventurous minds of middle school students to whom technology is the learning medium of choice. Not only will blogs help your students learn, they will also be improving their literacy skills, as they will be writing more frequently.”

Scrapbooking and Students…“Offers students the chance to show their strengths--be they artistic, verbal, dramatic, or technological--while demonstrating content mastery, and the array of results for any given project is stunning!”-Garren

Offering new technology like scrapbooking online to kids to help with their writing and creative skills with technology, will benefit them in the future. They have to use their technology knowledge and creativity to make a project that can be based about explaining their life, or like the author Garren was doing in her classroom, make them do a report on Egypt.

Scrapblog.com

PODCASTING !

Many teachers find that podcasting helps students realize that they have something to say, and that their knowledge has real-world value.

Podcasting can be about anything and anyone can hear it, anywhere almost in the world. It is a simple thing to use and can benefit many people if based off of literature and education. Children can find out more information about English and writing even if just listening to it and then practicing it later or at their seats while they listen to the broadcasts.

MAIN GOALS FOR ANY OF THESE PROJECTS:

•To demonstrate the ability to use and analyze both primary and secondary sources•To further develop independent research skills•To practice proper bibliographic format•To develop an understanding of the materials and methods used

ReflectionsMany things are holding back teachers from allowing children to use technology and learning English in the classroom . Schools and even parents are afraid of their children using online programs with their work. Finding safe and secure programs will solve their worries and in the end help children learn and use their on creativity when they learn.

Without using these kind of creative programs in learning English, kids are finding English boring and not worth their time to learn. We have to be active against allowing this to happen with our children in the future.

CONCLUSION

Using technology to help children improve their English is not a hard thing for teachers to do if they let children become more creative in how they learn. Using the programs I suggested, The Blogging websites, Scrapbooks, and Podcasting, children can be actively involved in what they learn. These programs will help the teachers show the kids new ways to learn English and use technology to their benefit that can also be fun.

WORKS CITEDThielst, C. B. (Sept-Oct 2007). Weblogs: a communication tool.  Journal of Healthcare Management, 52, 5. p.287(3). Retrieved December 13, 2009, from Academic OneFile via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=iulib_iupui

Garren, D.K. (2008) Implementing Project-Based Learning to Create “Authentic” Sources: The Egyptological Excavation and Imperial Scrapbook Projects at the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School. Retrieved December 13,2009, from WilsonWeb: http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/results_single_fulltext.jhtml;hwwilsonid=ME1MIPUVPWW13QA3DIKSFGOADUNGIIV0

Kramer, S (August 2009). Instructor how-to tech guide: podcasts: here's a secret. Kids love doing podcasts. Why not? It allows them to show off the cool stuff they've learned to the world. Here's what you need to know to get started.  Instructor (1990), 119, 1. p.41(3). Retrieved December 13, 2009, from Academic OneFile via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=iulib_iupui