Using Technology to Gain Academic Knowledge and Understanding

There are lots of tools available to help teachers support their students' learning. One of my favorite tools is "Moodle." Moodle is a class management system where teachers can store online exercises and quizzes that students can do on the computer at school or if they have an internet connection, at home. Two of the courses I teach use Moodle. I teach adults and I thought my students would like the moodle because they could study from home and would find this to be a more convenient way of learning. However, when I surveyed my students about the Moodle, what I learned was that rather than finding the Mooodle to be convenient, they actually felt that it was a better way to learn. They liked the fact that they could study at their own pace and that they could repeat exercises if needed. They also found it to be a more effective way to learn because they could focus on the exercises that addressed their academic weaknesses rather than just following the agenda of the teacher. In addition, they found the exercises to be more stimulating and engaging than reading a book or looking at words on a piece of paper because of the graphics often incorporated into the online exercises.

Another tool I use when teaching is the Smartboard. The Smartboard enhances learning by allowing me to use colors, zoom, and black out features to emphasize concepts and help the students to focus on what I am teaching.