Tips on Using Media in the Classroom
Lori Roberts is a high school biology teacher in Muscle
Shoals, Alabama. Lori is a leader in ocean education and is a graduate
of National Geographic Education’s two-year professional development
program, the National Teacher Leadership Academy.
The technology boom has made teaching so much easier. I remember when I had to use instructional money to buy VHS tapes for my classroom. I am sure many teachers used the same tape year after year because of funding issues. In today’s classroom, it is possible to have the opposite problem of which one to use out of the dozens available. In addition, there are many new forms of media that everyone should take advantage of!
Here are five tips for using different types of media:
1. VIDEO: Make sure the video clips or films are not too old. Kids will not listen to someone with a mullet. You do not want your audience to be so distracted that they miss the point of the content. Videos clips are often the best choice over a full-length film; it is not necessary to show an entire film to make your point. Five minutes may be all you need. Use a search engine to look up specific topics, and watch the video before you show it. Make sure it is relevant to the age of your audience.
2. INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS: Interactive boards are expensive, but worth
every dime. Students are able to interact with the lesson; hands-on is
best for kinesthetic children. Be considerate of the different types of
learners in your classrooms. There are also SMART resources available
for downloading age-appropriate lessons for your students. Go to
http://www.smarttech.com for a sample of these. Additionally, 3D tools are now
available to use with SMART Notebook software.
