Technology in schools in California and Turkey

Although I had to use the blackboard in my classroom for my Turkish and English lessons and I do not feel comfortable to use chalks when writing, we have some basic technological options in my classes both in California and in Turkey. I believe it is the teacher who can make most of the material available in the class. Despite writing on a blackboard, I have found some colored chalks to point some language items for visual learners. Speaking of technology in conventional meaning, we have a desktop with internet connection, speakers, and a projector in the classroom. Having speakers is a must in a foreign language class as listening is one of the basic skills that a learner is expected to acquire.

Classrooms at Uviversity of California in Santa Barbara have a variety of technological tools since it is a large university with different classrooms designed for specific purposes. It is still interesting to see that even classrooms in the same building might have additional technological options.

I can say that most instructors and professors use the desktops in classrooms in the classes where I audit the lesson. Some come to the lesson with a PPT presentation prepared in advance and we use the technological tools mostly in Educational Technology classes where students are asked to come to the classes with laptops or tablets.

I would say they fit in all the evaluative criteria as the sources are not expensive but instructors help design creative activities. When the instructors are introducing their students with different teachers around the country and when students have the chance to ask these teachers questions online, then it means that internet connection and speakers in the classroom are used effectively.