My Beliefs

My Beliefs

I think technology in the classroom is very important.  It helps in productivity, in helping students learn in different ways, and is helpful for teachers to keep organized and communicate with parents and students.

I am excited to learn more about and experience technology in my classroom.  I am hopeful that my students will have access to computer laptops and that I will have the necessary equipment to create an effective learning environment.

I plan on learning more about technology and keeping up with the changes in education.  I want to instill a desire for my students to learn more about technology and be able to use computers in helping them learn and succeed in school.

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

I was amazed at how fast technology is growing as I watched the video clips.  It was kind of scary learning about how fast things are changing.  It also made me a little anxious to know that computers will be more efficient than the human brain.

It is also a concern that students are exposed to so many things on the internet that can be harmful to them.  I think that kids today will be lacking in many social skills because of email, texting, etc.

It was interesting to me that students can benefit from “Twitter”.  I do believe having computer skills can be beneficial to them for their future careers, but also think that they are going to have a hard time in Literacy.  I thought the website called “Shorthand” was really funny.  It makes me wonder how students will do at spelling in the future.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths and Weaknesses

In most areas on the UNI survey I would rate myself as a novice/apprentice.  I would say my strengths are the basics that I have practiced for some time.  For instance, I worked on computers (databases and word processors (#16, #17) when I was employed in the business field, so I am aware of the impact of them (#5).  I have used the internet for research for papers and lesson plans (#9).  I have had an email account for at least 12 years, so I am familiar with the process (#11).  Instructional Technology has helped me in several areas also, such as personal websites, podcasts, digital stories and copyright laws (#10, #13, and #14). 

I can improve in all of the above areas, but there are some things that I really lack the experience and knowledge in. There are at least two things I would like work on and learn more about which will be very helpful to me as a new teacher.  I am not familiar with adaptive assistive devices for my students who have special needs such as learning disabilities, impaired vision, etc. (#7). There is an online tutorial that will help me learn about resources for these special students.  It is called, “Assistive Technology Training Online Project” (ATTO.buffalo.edu/registered/tutorials.php).

One of the tutorials is for a program called, “Write.Outloud” which speaks letters, words, and sentences.  This is helpful for writing and reading activities.  There is also a tutorial for “BrailleNote” in case I have a student who needs to use this program.

The other area I would like to learn about is video conferencing- what it is and how I can use it in my teaching.  “HighTechLearning” provides a course in which I can learn about this and other skills that will benefit me as a teacher.  The website is:

http://eduscapes.com/hightech/index.htm

I need to continue to grow in knowledge and skills in technology according to the NETS and there are many resources that I can turn to help me.  I just need the desire, the time, and the confidence to achieve success.