Current View of Technology

My current view of technology hasn't really changed prior to taking this class. I have always thought technology is something that should most definitely been incorporated into the classroom because of all the many resources available through the internet and other technology. This course has definitely opened my eyes to different strategies and fun and interesting ways to use technology in the classroom. For example, I have learned about several different software programs for students and teachers to use which most definitely enhance learning. My current view of technology is that when used effectively and to minimize distractions, students can have a great learning experience. I feel that technology can help students realize all the different ways a task can be done, such as research and putting together projects. I am most definitely going to use technology in my classroom for several different things. I will use technology for communicating with parents, constructing letters/newsletters to send home, coming up with activities for my students, having my students do research and look at different educational cites, and so much more. Technology is a great resource, and I'm excited to see what else is in store during my career as a teacher.

Non-Computer Technology

I think that the use of projectors in a classroom is a necessary resource for teachers. Projectors are very helpful while doing whole group instruction to go over materials together and explain information every student must know. They are also helpful because they enlarge certain works or instructions, which can help for students who are visually impaired. Also, projectors can be used to show examples of what kids will be doing, such as activities. It's also a great way for teachers to go through activities and projects step-by-step, instead of using a chalkboard. Projectors are interesting, because you can use them in many different ways- both with the computer and without. Smart boards and White boards are great to use with computers, but for all other teaching strategies a projector can be extremely useful.

Another non-computer technology I have in mind is the Leap Frogs. I am not very familiar with these, but I know that they use a lot of the same features that CD ROM storybooks use, but without the computer. For example, there is sound, as well as a pen you can use to highlight words that need repeated or decoded. This is a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom for students who are learning to read, without the use of a computer.

ERIC Reflection

Being that I was only in class for my presenation and the Assistive Tech presentation, this is what I will be commenting on. I know that through doing research for our presenation, I learned a lot about how technology can be "bad" in elementary classrooms and how technology can be "good." However, I feel like it all seems to lie within how the teacher implements certain activities that partner with technology. If the teacher doesn't think carefully about how to make sure kids are getting what they need to out of an activity that's maybe done on a computer, then of course the kids will be distracted and off-task. If a purpose is set and goals are stated and known to both the students and teacher, technology can only enhance the learning experience for young students. As far as the Assistive Tech presentation, I found it to be very interesting, especially the legal parts. For example, the district MUST provide the resources for ANY child who needs them. I feel like this is great for me because other people should be taking care of the resources and needs for my students and it should all be paid for. I also enjoyed this presentation because it showed how much is really out there for students with special needs and how we should take advantage of this. Overall, what I saw was very helpful and I feel more prepared to use technology in my future classroom.

Blog Post #9

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/CTE/te/K-5/Engineering/


The above website is the Virginia Department of Education's teacher resource guide for using technology in the elementary school classroom. The website includes standards of learning, as well as standards for technological literacy. The website also includes a comprehensive set of design briefs for technology integration for grades K-5. For each grade level, there is a list of subjects which include English, Math, Science, and History accompanied by a lesson plan title which is a link to the complete lesson plan format. Each lesson deals with technology in some way or another. For example, Kindergarten Math deals with shapes and students are to create shapes using the computer.

I feel that this website is great for educators to get ideas on how to integrate technology into the elementary classroom. I love that there are sample lesson plans that give detailed explanations on what students are to do and learning outcomes. I also like how the website is set up. There are tabs that you can click on on the left hand side to see the standards of learning. I also like how the different grade levels are split up and the subjects are listed. There are pictures by each grade level which make the website very attractive and draws viewers in. Overall I think this is a great website for educators to use when looking for ideas on how to integrate technology into their own classroom. You should all check it out!

Motivational Video: "Pay Attention"

This video is a really great way to show teachers how important integrating technology into their curriculum really is. Since many of our students today can be labeled as "digital learners" why do teachers still refuse to offer their students the opportunities technology can provide? This presentation really gets you thinking and will hopefully motivate you to more effectively use technology in your classroom when you are a teacher in the near future.

Half-Way Reflection

I've learned a lot about technology use in the classroom so far from this course. I feel like I've gained a lot of resources that I can use in my future classroom such as websites where I can make lesson plans, find lesson plans, generate quizzes, and much more. This has probably been the most important thing I have learned in this class. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all of the work that comes along with this course, but for the most part I feel that it is helping me become a more successful educator.

Internet Use in Elementary Classrooms

I feel that the internet is an amazing tool for a teacher to use. There are so many resources available on the internet and it would be silly to not take advantage of this. Some pros of internet use in elementary classrooms would be finding lesson plans, fun and educational clip art, as well as allowing students to do research on any given topic. While I feel that there are many more pros to using the internet in education, there are most certainly some cons which include safety- there are a lot of inappropriate sites on the internet that may not be blocked even with privacy settings, and you definitely don't want your young students coming across these. Also, using the internet too much can take away from teacher-student relationships as well as peer relationships. If I were being interviewed and asked how I would use the internet in my classroom, I would say that I would use it for several things. I would use the internet to come up with different ways to organize my classroom, such as seating charts, I would use the internet to generate quizzes, tests, games, and puzzles. I would use the internet to come up with fun lesson plan ideas and to print off clip-art and signs. I would use the internet as a tool for my students to do research and to help them come up with topics for projects. I would allow my students to use the internet to come up with new ways to do presentations and use graphics such as searching for sound and video. The opportunities for using the internet in an elementary classroom are endless, and I will most certainly use as many of these as I can in my own classroom.

One of my favorite teacher websites I have found so far would be Discovery Education: School Resources which is sponsored by the Discovery Channel. On this website, you are able to generate your own puzzles, you can search through the thousands of lesson plans in the lesson plan library, you can look through the clip art gallery, and there is also a section called "Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators" which is a list of sites for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. There is so much more to this site as well so you should check it out!