Beliefs about Technology

I believe that technology in the classroom will help students gain skills that they will need in the future. Our world is full of technology and as our students grow up and enter the real world they will need an understanding of what technology can do for them. We need to make sure that we are positive about technology but also aware of what is out there.

The videos that I watched told a very powerful message: We need to take control of our voice and use it in a way that will benefit ourselves and others. We have so many tools at our fingertips. Technology is becoming advanced every day. With all these resources we need to use it for some good.

In the video “A Vision of Student’s Today”, students are using technology in a passive way when they should be learning and getting something out of their education. Instead they are browsing such sites as Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, and similar sites. These sites are building communities but they have a time and a place and view them in a classroom is a little inappropriate.

As up and coming teachers, we should be on the prowl for websites that can enhance our lessons. There are a variety of helpful websites that have been made to be used as resources. We in turn can create websites to help others. Many teachers are putting their lesson plans online to help new teachers find their style. When I’m a teacher I want to create a community for my students and since a lot of them are online I want to create a place to go where they can find resources, tips, share their thoughts and connect to other students in their class or school.

I agree with the article, “Do Something Disruptive”. I think that there are certain tools that we can use to be more effective teachers and there are some tools that we can challenge ourselves and our students. One such tool that I have been exposed to is the SMARTboard. It acts like a regular white board but it’s capable of so much more. It allows students and teachers to hook it up to the internet and interact with websites. I would love to have this tool in my classroom and use it for math, spelling, and art as well as countless other topics. I feel like the more resources teachers have the more we have to reach out to students.

There are many ways that we can reach out to students using technology. There are countless lessons in the science department that deals with technology. We can explore new life with high powered microscopes. We can also create labs that incorporate technology. The more options we have, the more we expand a child’s mind.

By taking Computers in the Classroom, I will be exposed to different ideas that I may use at some later point. I need to open minded and even if I’m unfamiliar with an approach, I should keep in mind that I am a student as well and challenges need to be present in order to grow.

References “A Vision of Student’s Today” Michael Wesch i : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o . October 12, 2007.

“Do Something Disruptive” Mike Muir: http://everyonelearns.blogspot.com/2006/04/do-something-disruptive.html . April 6, 2006.

This is my first post in my EDU 302 Computers in the Classroom class. Stay tuned for upcoming posts!