Lesson Plans

I have been in education for many years and I think that lesson plans are a crucial part of the curriculum. It is important to follow a given curriculum but it is also important to modify that particular curriculum to fit the needs of your students. I have always done my most successful lesson planning after I have assessed and evaluated areas where my students have need more help in. In that way I was able to create and conduct my lesson plans based on the needs of my students.

However, as technology has taken over. I have found myself typing my lesson plans instead of the old fashioned way in my green lesson plan book. Technology in lesson plans in my opinion facilitates learning for both the students as well as the teacher. For example, if a teacher continues to teach the same grade the lesson plans from the previous year can be saved in a folder or flash drive and that teacher can simply go back and add to the lesson plans from the previous school year. Also, the district that I am employed in since last year has "Power School" which is an online grade book that allows teachers to take attendance and enter grades for all subjects. Additionally, teachers can look up student information especially their records if he/she is a transfer student from another school within the same district.

Lesson plans are important because teachers have a guideline as well as pace guide especially when the lesson plans are modified to accomodate the needs of the students. When lesson plans have technology incorporated it makes learning easier for the student population. Examples of ways to incorporate technology into lesson plans is through the use of powerpoint presentations, books on tape, computerized learning such as kidspiration, virtual field trips, smart board technology, or even a computer in the classroom that is connected to the television. The use of technology in the classroom can allow students to identify better with a given lesson because most of their lives are now dictated through the use of technology. Many of my students are even able to describe how they can go on websites that the district has blocked from the server. Students today are technology saavy and when techology is part of the lesson it is likelty that the students will have a positive experience and provide positive feedback.