Blog #2- Emerging Technologies

After using the technologies such as games, interactive whiteboard activites, simulations/role playing, and virtual reality/worlds, my opinon on each differs. I think that the games and interactive whiteboard activities are a good way to get kids involved and having fun while learning and I could highly see myself using these technologies in my future classroom. I could also see myself using a simulation when appropriate to further explain something that I was teaching. As far as virtual reality/worlds go, I don't think they are helpful or neccessary in an educational setting.

A game that I chose that I thought would be helpful in bettering students' vocabulary is the hangman game on "The Problem Site". It is the classic game of hangman; however, it uses more advanced words that most students might not know. If a student doesn't know what the word means, the site will give them a definition. Another technology that I looked at was the Third World Farmer simulation. Although I probably wouldn't use that specific simulation in my english classroom, I think it's a great way to engage students in their learning. If you're teaching a history class about farming in the third world, this simulation would express the extremity of farming in the third world.