Instructional Software

The thing that I can relate to the most in Chapter 3 is instructional software. As a first grade teacher I use instructional software in my classroom daily. I have literacy centers that my students go to everyday. The one that my students fight over to get to is the computer center. I even have to watch the students at the neighboring centers that become easily distracted by the computer center. I normally do not have to worry about the students at the computer center doing their work because they are so engrossed in learning. I have two computers in my classroom that the students are able to use. I have a variety of websites that focus on phonics that I let my students use during their center time. The ones I use most frequently are starfall.com and pbs.org. I feel that my students enjoy this center because it is interactive and entertaining. Students these days have such easy access to technology that teachers constantly have to struggle to keep them entertained. These days’ students have laptops or their own computers at home. They are usually pretty up to date on the newest technology. As a teacher we should try to incorporate technology in our classroom as much as possible. That will enable us to entertain the students as they learn and teach them how to use technology appropriately.