Promising Practices Letter

                                                                                                        Albert Picozzi
                                                                                                        Rhode Island College
                                                                                                        November 5^th,2014

 

Dear Dr. Blankenship,

 

            Thank you for your presentation on using technology, specifically GIS mapping on Goggle Maps, in a history/social studies class setting.  It was great to see that this type of technology can be used in a subject, history, which many students see as boring.  You showed us how to create a virtual walking historic tour of downtown Providence.  The process also showed us how to add points to the tour of historical significance and how to include pictures, audio and/or video clips, and also text.  It was great to see how you can create a tour at home and then actually use that tour on the sites.  You can make it so that it is available of smartphones and tablets that can be used while actually walking on the tour.  After the tour demonstration you explained how you can use this technology in the classroom.  The example you used was great.  Using present day maps you created a small lesson on the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944.  It showed the challenges faced by the allies just from the geography, but when you added the points you included pictures of what the area looked liked with the German defenses.  It gave a great representation and realistic view of what the allies faced.  It was more than just pictures in a book.  The way you added questions to each point was a great way to assess while the lesson was taking place.  To show us how you can use technology in a classroom really can make any lesson come to life.
            In my opinion this breakout session connected to the ideas stated by Dr. Christopher Emdin and Promising Practices of how we need to know our students in order to really teach them and how we need to change the way they are taught.  Dr. Emdin basically states at one point that we need to know our students and our classes in order to teach.  Each student and each classroom learns differently.  In today’s world technology is everywhere.  Your smartphone can do more work than the computers that helped land the Apollo rocket on the moon in 1969.  Students are all about the new technology, just stating that you are going to use some of that new technology will get them interested.  Everybody is using Google Maps and Google Earth for many reasons.  Why not bring it into the classroom and use it for whatever you might think.  Show the class a real time map of the area of Gettysburg and have the students map out the specific points of one of the most important battles in our history.  Let them use the technology to get interested.  Use this type of technology to explore local areas of interest whether it is in history, English or even in math.  Really know your students and change the teaching based on this knowledge.  With technology so much a part of a student’s life these days let’s bring it into the classroom and use it so we can get and keep the students interest.
            Both the breakout session and the address by Dr. Emdin were insightful and full of information that I plan on using once I get into my own classroom.  The profession has to move away from traditional methods in a sense.  As teachers we can still lecture but change it in a way that interests the students, by getting to know them, knowing their interests and bringing them to the class room.  Technology is one of those ways and it is one I plan on using.  Thank you again as I learned a lot from this conference that will help me as a future educator.

 

Sincerely,

Al Picozzi