#classromm

Johannes Lebek Woodcut - Date Unknown.

GRD Academy, a top CBSE school in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), is an initiative of GRD Educational Trust. The School was established in 2001 to fulfill Chairman Sardar Raja Singh Oberoi’s Dream of providing quality education at affordable cost to the children of Dehradun and adjoining areas.

Technology allows students to become more independent in the classroom. But is the change from teacher to facilitator a positive move for the profession? Mike Britland is firmly in favor.

When I went to school it was common place for a teacher to place a text book in front a set of students and offer the simple yet daunting line, "copy that". There would be no talking to either the teacher or fellow pupils. For me lessons seemed to drag so much that I wasn't engaged in the subject material. I'm proud to say that I became a teacher in spite of the education I received; I believed that I could and would do a better job. This task was made easier through the use of technology in the classroom.

During 10 years in the profession, I've seen technology alter the role the teacher almost beyond all recognition. Teachers have undergone a Kafkaesque metamorphosis from Mr Chips to Mr Jobs; wooden, flip-lid desks have been replaced by iPads. The question we have to ask is, has this change from teacher to that of facilitator of learning been positive? Undeniably so, in my opinion.

Making use of technology to allow students the freedom to discover solutions to problems both independently and collaboratively is a force for good. As educators we strive for students to engage with our subject beyond a superficial level. We want them to be active learners, learners who have a thirst for discovery and knowledge. Technology places the world in the hands of every student inside the confines of your classroom.

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There are many ways in which technology can be used in the classroom to engage students and facilitate exciting, engaging and interesting lessons. I'm not going to ignore the fact that there is a cost attached to most things, but it's about getting more bang for your buck, as our American cousins would say. Whatever you choose to use you need to make sure that you're getting it for the right reasons.

If you're not used to allowing your students space to guide their own learning then I can see how this all might seem intimidating; don't let it be. For many of us it feels counterintuitive to allow our students the space to discover solutions as these might not be the ones that we want them to find. Allowing the use of technology in my classroom has freed me from my lesson-plan shackles. It feels strange at first but the this type of emancipation is addictive

We all feel the stresses of getting students through exam courses and allowing them the freedom to wander is sometimes too much for some to allow. However, in my experience allowing the freedom to search and discover the subject through technology has fostered a love for my subject.

The best teachers that I have seen using technology to aid independent learning are the ones who have embraced the power that is already in the pockets of students. Most students have powerful devices, primed and ready to go in their pockets – the dreaded mobile phone. If you're lucky like me, your school will see the power that these wonders hold. Allowing students to unholster these weapons is a liberating experience for both teacher and student. Filming a peer assessment or recording a group discussions and uploading to AudioBoo is yet another way of engaging students.

Classroom, LMS de Google, agrega profesores colaboradores y la funcionalidad de dejar preparadas las actividades en modo borrador. El Sistema de Gestión del Aprendizaje de Google implemente novedades que son de suma utilidad para el desarrollo de las actividades por parte del profesor en el curso, permitiendo ahora el trabajo en equipo.

En cada clase, se podrá agregar otros profesores que colaboren con el titulas realizando algunas funciones especiales o en espacios de tiempo que se requiera el aporte de varios profesores o quizás el reemplazo momentáneo del titular en algunas tareas (enviar calificaciones, responder inquietudes o consultas, revisar los trabajos entregados), desde la lista de contactos se puede realizar la invitación a otro profesar de tal manera de agregarlo al curso, cuando acepte la invitación.

Los profesores colaboradores no podrán eliminar el curso, esta función solamente la puede realizar el profesor titular. Para adelantar trabajo, desde ahora es posible elaborar con anticipación las actividades, guardarlas en modo borrador, para luego publicarlas cuando sea el momento adecuado.

Esto facilita el aprovechamiento del tiempo por parte del profesor que puede ir creando las actividades en su tiempo libre, a la vez que puede planificar y decir cuál es el momento para enviarlas, quizás esperar a cuando finalicen la actividad que están realizando.

Las calificaciones también se pueden realizar en forma parcial y enviarlas a todos recién cuando se haya terminado de evaluar al grupo completo.

Classroom