Blog Post #7

In We All Become Learners, I gained a new perspective into not only project-based learning, but building our personal learning networks as well. Michele made so many critical points during this video and the story she shared about the kindergartner teaching her how to use an app was a big highlight for me. If a child is five or six years old and they're teaching a teacher how to use an app, think about what they'll know when they make it to middle and high school where technology will be of more importance! I think integrating technology into the classroom is so critical to our students' future because this "wave" of futuristic technology is promising for our students and the sky is the limit when you're technologically savvy. My mind will probably be blown by the time students make it to my high school classroom! A quote that Michele made really stuck with me, "we all become learners in each other's personal learning network," in that we seriously do learn from one another and if we continue to keep an open mind and continue to uplift one another with knowledge, we're going to have some very smart people in the coming years!

Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten opened my eyes as to how technologically challenged I think I may be! It makes me happy to know that there are kindergartners out there that are so eager to research and they do it with such enthusiasm. I did not know that Alabama had such a program (the Alabama Virtual Library) and it's a promising research tool because once a child learns how to do something, there should be a innate ability to want to keep going! For kindergartners to be able to make revisions is beyond me because I barely knew how to tie my shoes at that age and the fact that they become self-conscious about their mistakes being displayed is such a mind-boggling thing because there are small mistakes that I make that I don't catch. In fact, I welcome the idea of having kindergartners teach us how to correctly construct a Book Trailer because I think it widen our perspectives a little more when it comes to being either for or against technology in the classroom. I remember when I started to research things in middle school and I dreaded it! It's amazing to see research start at such a young age!

iPads In The Classroom is an important video for people to view who are skeptical of having such technology in a classroom. At first, I was the skeptic because I agree that it just seemed like a novelty item but the more I learn about having iPads in the classroom, the more in favor I become of it because in the coming years, our students will know more about technology than we will and it's important that we learn to adapt the ever changing classroom. One teacher interviewed in the video said, "it's like going on a 'virtual field trip' right inside the classroom." That statement alone should ease some skepticism because the students have the entire universe at their fingertips and they can learn so much more than a textbook can teach them! Although textbooks are important, I believe that having the ability to go beyond what a textbook can offer is highly important! When we can allow our students to become more engaged in what they're learning, that's a huge 'win' because it allows them to gain more knowledge so that they can become well-rounded in certain subject areas!


10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education was definitely a video for the skeptics of having technology in the classroom. I've actually used an AmpliVox system before and they're extremely helpful for people who aren't able to project their voice as loud as other students can; this can be beneficial to the teacher also because you wouldn't have to strain your voice anymore. I think the best point to this video was that although it does require an initial investment, using technology does save money because you're not having to buy paper, binders, calculators, notebooks, etc., and in the long run, it does save more money than people would think. Technology isn't always fun to all of the students but to the vast majority of students, it does. When you're able to integrate fun into a lesson, the students don't think of it as learning because it's "fun," and not necessarily educational but the joke's on them because they ARE in fact learning and they're having fun doing so! As future educators, we do need to keep up with the times because being technologically illiterate isn't an ideal thing in today's day in age as our students might be ahead of us in the technology department.



What are the things that you believe you will need to know AND do to prepare for your career as a teacher before you graduate that will enable and support your ability to use technology effectively as a component of your classroom instruction and to foster student participation and learning?

My Strengths: able to use Apple products, efficient with Microsoft Office, and somewhat familiar with very few educational applications for the tablets/iPads

My Weaknesses: not as familiar with PC, unsure of the multiple applications available for a classroom setting, and not as familiar with search engines as I thought I was.

I believe that before I graduate, I will need to be technologically sound  before I step into my classroom. By that, I mean that I need to keep up and be well versed into these technology outlets and pick out which ones will be MOST beneficial to my subject area. I honestly think that it won't be hard to foster student participation and learning if there's technology involved. If a student sees that there's a "shiny new toy" available for use, they'll take it and gladly become involved if it means they get to use that shiny new toy. If another student is having trouble with learning the technology, there's always a classmate that will be able to help them so then it becomes a collaborative thing as well! When it comes to using technology effectively, that's where I'll be a little bit dubious because there are outlets out there that are definitely not effective pertaining to my subject. It's important that we do adequate research on these technology outlets because when used right, there's so much information that can be attained and retained in these young minds! The biggest takeaway from watching all of the previous videos is that technology is completely innovative and it's changing the future of education for good!