Since that time, the courses have become a requirement rather than an elective for education majors seeking their teaching license. Students learn classroom presentation, Internet skills and how to use such equipment as digital cameras, scanners and laser disc players. Some of the course requirements include putting together a Power Point presentation, newsletter development, creating a grade book, performing a software evaluation, writing a teacher grant and touring Jackson s STAR Center to see different types of software available to help the disabled. Weaver says teachers can add action, video clips, music and sound effects to a Power Point presentation to really make it special for their students when lesson time comes. Or they can make a complete lesson and put it on laser disc to pop in at their convenience.
Kids love it.
Of course not every teacher has the inclination to be on the technology superhighway. Anna Clifford, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Union, admits some veteran teachers are overwhelmed by the advent of technology into the classroom. Something I really enjoy seeing is when our students go into the classroom and give a technology-based lesson that sparks an interest in the veteran teacher to learn more about the equipment they may have and not know how to use. Clifford integrates technology into such courses as the one she teaches on elementary school social studies. For the past three years, her class has adopted a third-grade class at Denmark Elementary School.