Wikis are a great tool for teachers to communicate with each other and in a very real-world and meaningful way with their students.
— Karen Montgomery, Education Consultant, AT&T
How to effectively use computers in the classroom
As a teacher, Karen Montgomery continually dealt with limited options for connecting with students on their technological level in the classroom. However, recent advances have made computers readily available in the classroom setting. The next step for Karen was effectively using technology to enhance curriculum and classroom participation. After evaluating available alternatives, Karen chose PBworks in order to meet her technological goals.
Engage Students outside the classroom
Karen wanted a way to quickly engage her students online without opening her classroom to outside visitors. Today, she advises teachers to address this concern by creating an easy to use, private site on PBworks. All PBworks spaces require a password to edit, and private sites take it one step further, requiring a password to gain entrance to the site. For teachers, PBworks's notification system allows the administrator to see who has logged in and who is contributing the website. For students, the ability to quickly upload or edit information provides strong motivation to participate inside as well as outside the classroom.
Results
As teaching methods evolve, PBworks offers a way to effectively involve students before and after the school bell rings. Karen recommends engaging your students with a PBworks by:
- Posting syllabi and notes
- Requiring students to respond with a question or comment
- Uploading student papers to create an online classroom portfolio
- Asking each student create an "About Me" page to connect with peers
- Adding a customized page with digital images to create a quick and easy scrapbook
- Introducing a global perspective featuring collaborative projects between schools
You can see more examples of what to do with a classroom workspace on Karen's workspace.