I have to admit when I first thought of this class I figured there wasn't much out there that I was unaware of. Surprise! There is definitely a wide range of technology I am unfamiliar with. The first things that come to mind is wikis, Diigo, delicious, edmodo, microblogging and RSS feeds. I hate to admit this but, I had to google these items because I had no idea what they are.
http://www.toondoo.com/p
With the technology available to people today it is imperative for a teacher to be knowledgeable of what is out there. There is no way you will be able to keep your students engaged if you do not use this technology in your classrooms. Unfortunately, the only draw back that I currently see is the fact that the schools do not have as much resources as they should. Currently, in the elementary school I volunteer in, they have smart boards. Smart boards are really neat compared to the blackboard I had as a kid. The problem is that most of the staff has minimal knowledge in the uses or capabilities of this technology. Also, each classroom only has 3-5 computers available to the class. Plus due to budget constraints they eliminated the technology class to the students.
My plan will be to learn all that I can about the resources available to me. I will also see what I can do to add what I can to my teaching. I want to make it interesting and engaging. If I am not engaged...how can my students be engaged!
In conclusion, in order to tackle the issue of technology and teaching, the best thing I believe I can do is to learn. To put myself out there and try some of the things out there that I am unfamiliar with. To do research and get with people that have knowledge and experience. Technology can be a real asset to teaching. It can make life easier for me as a teacher but at the same time and more importantly, technology can help engage my students. Having my students being engaged will lead to their success and mine as a teacher.
Davis, L.(2015, May 15). Tech Strip. Created with toondoo: http://www.toondoo.com/phttp://www.toondoo.com/p
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Great reflective blog post, but for the future I need you to identify the three specific, relevant and important concepts from your readings (these appeared to be overall reactions.) It is amazing how integral and ubiquitous technology has become in our lives. I do think that sometimes people put the blame on technology for some negative consequences, but it really is about the humans controlling (or not!) their use of technology...and the key is purposeful balance!
ReplyDeleteIn addition, you included the important ethical responsibility of properly adding your resources and the awesome (and very appropriate!) cartoon - wasn't that fun to make? Can you imagine students demonstrating what they know with a similar type story/cartoon? :) For future blog posts, continue what you started here with the addition of more specificity in identifying your textbook concepts (perhaps include in the introduction).