The Most Appropriate Applications I Have Used to Support My Teaching

 

Thorough this blog I have discussed and compared different applications within technology that have been learned through my PGCE PCET course at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. For this concluding blog, I shall list the three most appropriate applications I use most often to support and aid my planning, teaching and assessing and how these have added to the learning experience for my music pupils.

            The first application which I have used to support the planning of my teaching is Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word has an excellent tool which allows the user to create lesson plans, tables that enable one to map out time schedules and also has a feature to make bullet points. These lesson plans can then be saved and used again for other classes which may take the same module or alternatively can be used to revisit the same topic for exam revision sessions in the future (Petty, 2014, p. 380). This application is much fast, easy to read and allows me to print multiple copies of my lesson plan to give to my mentor or supervisor.

The bullet point feature is especially useful if I need to write down a few essential points, books or topics I need to cover. Using Microsoft Word has added to the learning experience for the students I teach most effectively when I have printed out a revised or simplified lesson plan and handed this to the students. These handouts enable the students to track the course of the lesson as we cover each topic and explicitly shows the end goal or aim of the lesson. Caroline Usei, lecturer at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, comments that younger learners often enjoy having small chunks of information that they can put together as a whole towards the end of the lesson whereas mature learners prefer to see the “bigger picture” and enjoy dissecting small parts from the whole[1]. The text on the lesson handouts can also be designed in a number of ways which are pleasing to look at for the students (Jarvis, 2015, p. 50).

The second application which has particularly aided my teaching practice is PowerPoint. PowerPoint allows the user to create colourful and dynamic presentations which add variety and aid memory through being a visual aid to the learner (Petty, 2014, p. 348). This software is particularly useful for music teaching as one is able to insert music extracts and embed these directly into the PowerPoint so that hyperlinks are not needed. The one drawback of using PowerPoint for mature learners is that it provides a very linear style of teaching which does not encourage student participation (Petty, 2014, p. 352). Often when a member of the class asks questions, sometime it is necessary to take a slight detour from the main topic. Clearly, PowerPoint does not allow for this however it is certainly a useful and appropriate tool for teaching music when used effectively (and sparingly).

PowerPoint has added to the learning experience for my students through the speed at which I am able to present the information. With PowerPoint, the students are not waiting for long periods of time for me to open or download a music examples. Terminology and musical examples can be displayed quickly and clearly to learners in a fun and current way. Furthermore PowerPoint allows the learning leader to save the presentation file to your institution’s intranet which enables the pupils to revisit the information at any time and at a pace that is comfortable for them (Petty, 2014, p. 352).

Finally I wish to acknowledge the appropriateness of Sibelius 7 within my teaching practice with a focus on how this aids the assessment methods and strategies in the classroom. Sibelius is an application that allows the user to create digital compositions. The student may do this through one of two methods. They could decide to manually write in each note on the stave or alternatively they have the option to play their composition into the computer using a keyboard which is connected through a USB cable. This second method is particularly useful for those students who do not read music. When they become more confident at reading music they are then encouraged to try composing using the first method (by manually writing the music in). This application also enriches the students learning experiences in a number of ways including; it teaches the users about pitch and tone ranges of all the instruments by highlighting the notes in red that do not apply. It also educates the user about time signatures and number of beats allowed per bar by automatically beginning a new bar once they have filled the first.

 

It is clear that Sibelius is an appropriate application to support teaching but it is also very useful for assisting with assessment. Whereas in previous decades, the students would submit a handwritten piece of music on manuscript paper for the teacher to mark, now the student can sent their work electronically via Sibelius and through email. Then the teacher can not only print out the music (which is easier to read than handwritten notation) but the teacher can also ask Sibelius to play the music back. If a student has submitted a piano sonata or a string quartet then this would be easy for the assessor to play on the piano. However if a student has submitted a twenty-part symphony, this is a lot harder for the teacher to play let alone hear in their head.

Sibelius also allows the students to save every moment thorough the compositional process and can “replay the electronic sketches in exacting detail” (Spruce, 1996, p. 96). This may be of little interest to the pupil however the teacher may use these fragments of composition to track and assess the compositional progress and process (Spruce, 1996, p. 96).

These three applications have been most appropriate and useful aids to my teaching. I feel confident in using the software discussed in this blog however I will not be too proud to suggest that there is not room for improvement with the use of technology in my teaching practice. Reflecting on my use of technology thus far, I recognise that the software I use has remained the same for some time and the ICT module of my PGCE PCET course has challenged me to experiment with other technologies to enhance my teaching. The further skills that I need to develop to ensure my teaching include; being more confident in using the SMART or interactive whiteboards and also to branch out and try using some quiz based applications such as Kahoot!

Though technology is not essential for effective teaching and learning, it is nevertheless important for teachers to keep refreshing their technology skills and abilities. This, of course, is due to the speed at which technology itself is changing. One important element of building relationships with our students is ensuring our knowledge of current media and technologies is relevant. We need to keep educating ourselves about these technologies because it is our job to communicate with our learners in a way that is accessible to them, even if it is “out of our comfort zone” and even if it is not always necessarily a comfortable experience for us.

References

Jarvis, M., 2015. Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom. New York: Routledge.

Petty, G., 2014. Teaching Today: A Practical Guide. Fifth Edition ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Spruce, G., ed., 1996. Creativity as Creative Thinking. In: Teaching Music. London: Routledge, pp. 87 - 97.

 

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[1] Caroline Usei, Lecture notes from “Preparing to Teach”, September 2015.

Barriers to the Effective Use of Technology in Education

 

Using technology for education and in the classroom “has the potential to improve learning and teachers’ quality of life” (Jarvis, 2015, p. 1). Technology has also provided a unique platform for effective communication between students and teachers in ways that have hitherto impossible (Dawes, 2001, p. 61). If these facts have been proved and we believe them to be true, why are so many teachers’ experiencing apprehension and even refusing to use technology in their lessons? Surely there must be a deeper explanation than the fear of killing the class through “death by PowerPoint” (Petty, 2014, p. 352).

The list of reasons which explain the barriers to teachers using technology may indeed be extensive. This blog, however, will focus upon the four main barriers to the effective use of technology in education that I have come across in a number of placements over my teaching experience.

The first barrier to the effective use of technology in education is a simple and practical one; Economy. On a basic level, not all colleges can afford a computer or iPad for every students and even if they are able to provide these, it is likely high quality equipment requires a high set-up cost (Reece & Walker, 2007, p. 137).

Secondly, even if institutions can afford to purchase and install technologies, the room in which the lesson takes place in may not be equipped. This was something I experienced on my first placement. I arrived at the college armed with my new knowledge of Prezzie, Powerpoint and Hot Potatoes only to find that the room that I teach in does not have a projector or a SMART whiteboard. The lectures I take last for a total of seventy-five minutes per lecture so this certainly was a difficult barrier for me to overcome. I solved this problem by conducting fun games using paper and pen – the old fashioned way. Needless to say the students enjoyed this immensely.

A third element which prevents teachers from using technology is their level of digital literacy. The knowledge of technology is essential in the process of using it within the classroom (Reece & Walker, 2007, p. 137). There is a stereotype that older teachers are less likely to use technology in the classroom because of their age. However, whilst at Cardiff University the opposite turned out to be true; my tutor, though much older than myself, was extremely on the ball with the latest technologies.

A fourth barrier to using technology is that it can be very unreliable which results teachers having to provide backups or alternative lesson plans. As Reece and Walker note, “the creation of good interactive materials is time consuming” (Reece & Walker, 2007, p. 137). Teachers spend a lot of time planning lessons to begin with and in the event that the internet breaks down it is possible that your whole lesson can be lost. This means that when a lesson is based around technology, many teachers will have to prepare two lessons in the event that the first (technology based) lesson does not succeed. There are ways of saving your presentation to multiple hard drives and email accounts but as this takes time many teachers may prefer to stick to teaching methods that do not require backups and can be relied upon to provide successful outcomes every time.

Many teachers may have an apprehension towards technology simply because the human race has managed to educate themselves for centuries without the aid of technology. Even books on using ICT in the classroom tend to stress that technology is only an aid and should not be the main focus of any lesson. To use the old fashioned phrase: “If it’s worked thus far, why change it”?

A fifth and final barrier to the effective use of technology in education is that the use of technology in the classroom can prevent or reduce student interaction (Reece & Walker, 2007, p. 137). Furthermore, it has the potential to reduce interaction between the students and the teacher. It has been proved that effective and successful learning happens when there is a healthy (professional) relationship or communication between pupil and teacher. Harries discusses the importance of sharing with ones students and being a good role model for them to learn from (Harris, 2012, p. 19). Building good working relationships with students not only improves the teachers’ classroom management skills but also encourages the notion of respect within the learning environment (Kidd & Czerniawski, 2010, p. 146).

 

In the subject of music, particularly, teacher-pupil relationships are vital and many students have a few lessons with different teachers for around two months before they decide which one is the right teacher for them. This is due to the heavy amount of “sharing” that takes place during music lessons. The most powerful lessons in music can be those where two people are discussing their love for music (Harris, 2012, p. 15). So to substitute this with technology or a computer who is not able to sympathise or share would be problematic to say the least.

It has been suggested that the use of technology “is neither necessary nor sufficient for good teaching”, yet is very effective when used as a teaching aid (Jarvis, 2015, p. 11). If we also believe that teaching and learning happens most fruitfully when there is a good relationship at the base of the learning process then it would seem that technology is merely a secondary additional which some teachers prefer to use and others prefer not to. Some teaching styles may be effective enough without the use of technology and it could be argued that these teachers who have perfected this method are extremely skilful at their job.

 

References

Dawes, L., 2001. What Stops Teachers Using New Technology?. In: M. Leask, ed. Issues in Teaching Using ICT. London : RoutledgeFalmer, pp. 61 - 79.

Harris, P., 2012. The Virtuoso Teacher. London: Faber Music.

Jarvis, M., 2015. Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom. New York: Routledge.

Kidd, W. & Czerniawski, G., 2010. Successful Teaching 14 - 19: Theory, Practice and Reflection. London: sAGE.

Petty, G., 2014. Teaching Today: A Practical Guide. Fifth Edition ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Reece, I. & Walker, S., 2007. Teaching, Training & Learning. Sixth Edition Revised ed. London: Business Education Publishers Limited.

 

 

How Technology has changed the way we learn

 

In my last blog, I discussed the value of mobile technology within the teaching profession. Much of that discussion naturally covered ways in which technology has changed the way we learn. In this post I will focus upon not only how technology has changed the way we learn but also what this means for the teacher and pupil in terms of their role within the classroom.

Perhaps the most significant way that technology has changed the way we learn, is through providing a new learning environment or space. The physical has become the virtual. Online learning environments provide a way for participants to engage and respond to information presented online. As previously stated in my last blog, online learning environments (OLE) provide learners and teachers alike with an “on-the-go” outlook to learning (Summey, 2013, p. 49). This means that learning can take place from the comfort of your own home and is not restricted to the classroom.

One element which Summey does not mention is the positive effect this has upon the learner and their developing skills. With information at our fingertips twenty-four-seven, technology has enhanced our ability to conduct high quality, self-directed study and research. Some scholars, such as Crook (Crook, 1996), have put forward the idea of “computer as tutor”, that suggests the role of the teacher will be replaced with technology. Selinger, however, discusses the flaws in this idea, stating that humans are needed for education because we are unique in our ability to interpret the psychological state of other humans (Selinnger, 2001, p. 89). This links in with my blog that discusses relationship based teaching.

Thus, technology has changed the way we learn, the environment in which we learn and also the teachers role within this new method of learning. Teachers are no longer considered to be the “fountain of all wisdom” (as would have been the case fifty years ago) but rather the facilitator of learning. Teachers in the twenty-first century are experiencing a slight change in their stance within the learning process through changes in technology. Selinger notes, “teacher control of new knowledge is weakened and yet their role does not diminish, it changes to one of supporting […] learners to assimilate new information, to turn it into knowledge and understand within a nurturing and supportive environment” (Selinnger, 2001, p. 91).

Within the music sector, technology has totally transformed the learning experience. With programmes such as Sibelius 7, students no longer are required to write their music down on manuscript paper but rather are able to play their music into the application.

 

 

Sibelius allows students to input notes which also teaches them about phrase lengths and how many beats are allowed in each bar. This is a big step forward in teaching music theory and makes the learning experience so much more enjoyable for the pupil.

Although technology has changed the way we learn for the better in many ways, we must also consider the negative effects that this can have upon the role of teacher. Technology and the internet has brought about this sense of urgency and immediacy. Teaching has taken big leaps forward in promoting good communication and healthy work relationships between student and teacher, but have we taken this too far? In the twenty-first century, students are able to email their teacher day or night and to receive an immediate response. This can often result in the students' expectations being high in terms of what they expect from the teacher. Consequently, teachers often work late into the night answering emails yet this is not considered to be paid labour. This brings into question, the nature of emailing. Should institutions be looking into paying their teachers for overtime that is conducted using mobile technology to aid learning? How do we go about monitoring this? This would need to be looked into with further research on teaching and learning within twenty-first century culture however there have been some newspaper articles which raise similar concerns.

Telegraph article: "Nicky Morgan bans emails after 5pm to help teachers cope with work load:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11764027/Morgan-Ban-emails-after-5pm-to-help-teachers-cope-with-workload.html

 

To conclude, technology has indeed had a positive change on the way we learn. This can be seen through learning methods such as online learning environments, improving research and individual study that can take place “on-the-go” and teaching students about compositional devices as can be seen with Sibelius 7. Though we have embraced it, this new method of learning is ironic in itself. The new way of learning seeks to aid self-directed study and promote the idea of providing vast amounts of information at speed. Whilst this seems to be taking a certain amount of pressure off the teacher, some would argue that it has actually added to the teachers work load. With the speed of technology, students may begin to expect the same speed of response to things like emails because the student is aware that the teacher can access this through the use of mobile technology. The negative effect upon the teachers of the twenty-first century is that they are expected to be on hand through the use of mobile technology. Despite the perceptions about "young people and technology", e-learning involves a heavy amount of organisation, set up and management by the teacher (Kidd & Czerniawski, 2010, p. 261). The irony is that although technology has enabled independent study, teachers are needed more than ever to provide this pathway to enable independent study.

 

 

References

Crook, C., 1996. Schools of the Future. In: T. Gill, ed. Electronic Children: How Children are Responding to the Information Revolution. London: Natonal Children's Bureau.

 

Kidd, W. & Czerniawski, G., 2010. Successful Teaching 14 - 19: Theory, Practice and Reflection. London: sAGE.

Selinnger, M., 2001. Teacherless Classrooms. In: M. Leask, ed. Issues in Teaching using ICT. London: Routledge, pp. 83-95.

Summey, D. C., 2013. Developing Digital Literacies: A Framework for Professional Learning. London: Corwin, A Sage Company.

 

 

The Value of Mobile Technology in Teaching and Learning

This blog is called “Teaching Music in the 21st Century”. The twenty-first century is a highly digital environment and mobile technology holds a significant role within the context of teaching and learning as it serves as a “primary tool for both managing information and facilitating communication” (Summey, 2013, p. 158).  Mobile technology has become such an integral part of teaching and learning in recent years that students may not even realise the uniqueness of their learning world that they consider to be "normal". Blackboards, chalk and board dusters have been replaced by smart boards and whiteboard pens. In some classes even pen and paper are considered ancient writing implements. Technology is changing the way we teach, learn and interact and this blog will consider the value of mobile technology within planning, teaching, assessment and the experience for the learners.

                Firstly, mobile technology has been extremely beneficial to the planning that goes into each lesson for teachers. Mobile technology such as ipads and tablets provide a way for teachers to plan large scale tasks and lesson plans whilst on the go. Teachers can carry their tablets with them and have constant access to files that otherwise may have been at home saved in their computers. To encourage this “on-the-go” generation of teachers, an increasing number of institutions are providing their teachers and students with iPads for use in teaching and learning (Summey, 2013, p. 49).

                Mobile technology is also highly valuable to the teaching process itself. Jarvis suggests that the use of ICT in the classroom is “neither necessary nor sufficient for good teaching” (Jarvis, 2015, p. 11). However when used appropriately, to aid and compliment teaching rather than to be used as a substitute for teaching, ICT and mobile technology can be extremely useful. From personal experience, mobile technology is used most effectively in teaching when the process encourages class participation and interaction. One example of this is when the teacher may ask the students (in groups) to come up with a definition of a word on the board which has been displayed using Worlde.

                Assessment, being an integral part of teaching and learning, is another instance where mobile technology can be very useful. Socrative allows the teacher to instantly view the student’s scores on their iPad both individually and also in a pie chart format which indicates areas the teacher needs to revisit. Teachers are also able to use mobile technology to set and view assessment briefs and electronic submission of assignments which students can then save to their own mobile devices for constant referral (Petty, 2014, p. 364).

                Finally let us consider the way mobile technology has effected the learning experience for our students. It has been recognised that through mobile technology, not only the way we learn but also the spaces within which we learn have changed (Kidd & Czerniawski, 2010, p. 258). Students are able to search for e-books or journals whilst traveling on a train or bus. Students can also record lectures on their phones or listen back to seminars they might have missed that have been uploaded onto moodle. Thus, the learning experience has become more accessible to pupils through the use of mobile technology. This is totally radical compared to the teaching and learning experience of ten years ago. With the continuing developments of devices such as the iPad and android phones used both in the classroom and at home, “the engagement between the teacher’s pedagogical intentions and the students’ every day activity on the device is now becoming more common” (Gregson, et al., 2015, p. 185). Technology is changing and constantly evolving at a very fast pace. The task for teachers and learners, is to learn to adapt with these evolving technologies in order to stay relevant to today’s way of learning, teaching and receiving information.

 

References

Gregson, M. et al., 2015. Reflective Teaching inFfurther, Adult and Vocational Education. Fourth Edition ed. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Jarvis, M., 2015. Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom. New York: Routledge.

Kidd, W. & Czerniawski, G., 2010. Successful Teaching 14 - 19: Theory, Practice and Reflection. London: sAGE.

Petty, G., 2014. Teaching Today: A Practical Guide. Fifth Edition ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Summey, D. C., 2013. Developing Digital Literacies: A Framework for Professional Learning. London: Corwin, A Sage Company.

 

Sharing is Caring – A review of “Music Teachers Blog”

Today I will be reviewing "Music Teacher's Blog", and discussing ways in which blogs can be useful but also a disadvantage to music teaching.

 

 

 

        To review this blog, I firstly ask, what is a blog? Summey suggests that a blog provides a platform for “information, ideas, tools and resources can be shared in an organised fashion” (Summey, 2013, p. 147). However, Summey goes on to say that, “The ability for readers to comment on blog posts only enhances the collaborative aspect of learning through blogging” (Summey, 2013, p. 147). I would challenge this assumption. One only needs to browse through a few comments on blog posts to unearth that there are a select few bloggers whose aim is to provide negative feedback rather than constructive criticism. However, when used effectively, blogging can be very useful indeed as a teaching tool.

        The Music Teachers Blog is a useful and interesting teaching community. It discusses and provides valuable advice and tips on different teaching strategies. directly linked to my specialist subject, music. One of the most frustrating things I have found during my time on the PCET course is trying (and failing) to describe music-specific teaching strategies in my assignments. For example, how do I describe the ways in which I aurally assess my classes? When I sing or play a tune back to the class for them to repeat, what can I call that teaching strategy? Being able to read this Music Teachers Blog has been a breath of fresh air in this respect, as the creators of the blog understand and describe the different teaching strategies related to music.  

        The topics covered in this blog are also highly current. For example there is a post about what teachers can do at the beginning of the New Year (2016) to keep their music lessons interesting. It suggests that including popular music such as Adele or Coldplay will provide a nice change for the students to learn things they hear in everyday life to make the lessons relevant to them.

        The Music Teachers Blog can also be useful to support my teaching as the tips and lesson resources can be applied to big classes or seminars as well as one-to-one teaching. This is relevant to my own practice as every week I tutor one-to-one in the Segelov Academy (link can be found on the right hand side of this blog) as well as large classes in Gower College.

         Music Teachers Blog is aesthetically pleasing to look at, providing useful videos and pictures with examples of the subject matter as well as other related blogs listed on the right hand side of the page. These other blogs have helpfully been categorised into connected topics so that the user can browse easily for their desired interest. These categorised topics are wonderfully varied, covering issues such as pricing, practicing techniques and teaching methods for popular and classical music.

        Though the Music Teachers Blog is interesting and useful to my own teaching practice, this blog is not without its flaws. Though it is not quite as open as Wikipedia, it has been written collaboratively by a large group of teachers acting as blog authors. This could be seen as an asset to the blog as the reader can gain a wide amount of information from a variety of collaborators all from the same blog. However, similarly to Wikipedia, the target audience for the blog sometimes gets lost as it covers quite a broad range teaching strategies and age groups. Consequently, not all of the content will be agreed upon by most classical tutors.

        The blog discusses both popular and classical methods of teaching. However, because the authors do not differentiate between these two methods, there are certain articles that one group of music teachers may not agree with. For example, one post advises music teachers to highlight the dynamics in yellow on the music score. However, most classical teachers will advise strongly against this as it does not teach the children to identify the dynamic markings on music that has not been highlighted. As not all the post content can be agreed upon by all music tutors, the blog authors should explicitly aim their posts to certain kinds of teachers / subject areas.

         It is clear that blogs can be useful to music teaching and the teaching profession. The “sharing is caring” attitude is at the heart of why blogs were created for academic purposes. However it is important to remember that blogs can be written by almost anyone and their content should be treated accordingly.


References

Summey, D. C., 2013. Developing Digital Literacies: A Framework for Professional Learning. London: Corwin, A Sage Company.

 

Emails – Personal and Impersonal Communication

Lawrence Williams (2001, p.49), discusses ways in which technology can be used to create a sense of belonging to a wider community. One of the ways this can be achieved in education through use of blogs and email. Email in particular is an increasingly popular way for teachers to communicate with students in both HE and FE sectors as it accommodates a professional platform in which to communicate at any time of day and to a large number of people.

One advantage of using email as a form of communication is that messages can be sent out to the whole class as a big group. Students can then either respond individually to their teacher or alternatively they might choose to ‘reply to all’ and send their reply message to the whole class. This is a good example of ways in which technology can be used to aid relationship-based teaching (see previous blog posts on relationship-based teaching).

For music teaching, email can be particularly useful as it also allows the teacher to send videos, YouTube clips or sound files to the whole group so that the same version or orchestral arrangement of a piece can be heard by the whole class.

A disadvantage of using email, however, is that the important communicative elements used during conversation can get lost. For example when sending an email, the receiver is not able to hear your tone of voice or see your facial expression. This may lead to the receiver misinterpreting your message and in unfortunate cases the receiver may even take offense to an email or message simply because they could not read the body language of the messenger.

 

Although offensive translations happen rarely during email, this could lead to a negative effect of the behaviour of the students or lecturer in the classroom.

To prevent offensive translations, it is important for the sender and the recipient to employ professional language at all times or where possible during email communication. Thus email is a most unique form of communication as it calls for impersonal language within the setting of it being an incredibly personal form of communication.

References

Williams, L., 2001. ICFT: Information, communication and friendship technology. In: M. Leask, ed. Issues in Teaching using ICT. New York: RoutledgeFalmer, pp. 49 - 60.

 

 Content of the Course: A Few of My Favourite Things: Part Two

 

 

Let’s take a look at some other useful devices in teaching such as Nearpod, Socrative and Kahoot! These three devices are not traditionally used for music teaching but are innovative ways of introducing technology into the classroom in a very interactive way.

Nearpod, Socrative and Kahoot! are programs which engage the class by encouraging them to participate and answer questions through a dialogical approach using computers or IPads. Nearpod allows for non-prescriptive, open ended questions whilst Socrative and Kahoot! use prescriptive answers. These methods of communication between teacher and pupil are particularly beneficial for the students who do not wish to speak out loud in the classroom due to stammers or confidence issues. Socrative allows the user to convert the results into a pie chart so that the learning leader can identify gaps in the learners knowledge that can be revisited in future lessons.

The aesthetic design of Kahoot! feels as though it might be aimed at younger learners. This may be a disadvantage if the learner group are HE or FE. Another weakness of using quiz based applications is that the task requires the teaching room to be equipped with computers for each learner. Thankfully my teaching room does provide this however it would be difficult to adapt the lesson if the environment did not contain computers.

 

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Overall I have enjoyed learning about the variety of ways one may present a lesson to the class through use of these programs mentioned in Parts One and Two. For a music lesson, these applications above are not immediately useful but would be good for a fun 'side dish' to the main lesson. The tricky task for teachers is knowing when and how to use these applications in the most effective way to aid and not to blur the content of their lessons. Computer applications are good elements to compliment a lesson but a good balance in teaching methods is desirable.