It is ideal to integrate technology into our classrooms and I know that I plan on integrating it in mine. With the continuous rise in prices I can not even imagine how much technology and programs will cost by the time I am a teacher. What if the school district will not support our technology any longer? No one likes to beg for money so do we go out and spend money from our own pockets? Maybe. But what if there was a way to integrate classroom technology with no money? That is right, FOR FREE! Many of the popular programs we use cost tons of money but one thing many teachers do not know is that many of these popular programs have replicas that charge 100% less! I am even using one right now.
As long as the school has a computer lab or some form of access to computers then practically anything can be done. For example, we all know that Microsoft Office is not cheap but we also know the value it adds to lessons with Word, Powerpoint and Excel. Well, instead of Microsoft Word teachers can use Google Docs. Instead of Powerpoint teachers can use Prezi and instead of Excel teachers can use Google Spreadsheet. There are many more replicas of popular programs that can be easily found with a quick Google search. There are also other programs to help with different aspects of the classroom. I read an article that some teachers use Classdojo for behavior management and something else Edmodo to keep conversations going outside the classroom and online with classmates. Integrating technology in the classroom does not always have to be ridiculously expensive. Integrating technology can actually end up cutting costs. That is, if you integrate the right technology.
In my opinion I think this is a great way to integrate technology without spending too much money. I use Google Docs for almost every one of my assignments since I do not have Word and I have found that it runs more smoothly than Word.
How do you all feel about this?
This is a great point that I never considered before. All this tai of technologies that can be used in the classroom and cost has not ever been the central idea of topic. For some technologies it can get pricey and schools may not be able to afford certain programs or digital equipment. But when it comes to the internet and free sites, they can be just as useful in a classroom as the other pricey technologies if utilized correctly.
ReplyDeleteI also at one time had the problem where, I did not have the program Microsoft Word, but there was a free downloadable program called open office that I would use.
I have to agree that good doc is one of the best free technologies that can be used in a classroom because of the many features offered. An even better reason is because all the documents can be accessed from any computer which also makes it convent and efficient. Thanks for the reminder!