My Philosophy of Technology in Education

• how you believe technology can be used most effectively to support and assess learning (you may wish to consult the links above for theory or research to support your points; if you do so, provide either in-text citations or directly link to the online source),
This past quarter, I learned that the definition of technology in a classroom is beyond obvious items such as computers and projectors. Technology is limitless and can be a wide variety of items that supports and assess student’s learning. I believe technology can be used most effectively to support and assess learning because it provides the opportunity for students to be interactive in their learning. Through my technology class I introduced to a variety to academic technology websites and physical items. Among all the academic technology, one commonality is giving the students the control over their learning. By being interactive with a strong base of hands on, it gives students the chance to direct their own learning. Today, teachers are constantly altering their lesson plans to create lessons that involve the students. Technology is a great way to help teachers create interactive lessons plans and gives students an opportunity to do so. Through interactive lessons and students taking control over their learning, students will be more motivated to do their work. I believe that technology has a great role in providing the tools to promote a better learning experience for students and providing teachers the tools to create creative learning experience.

• the advantages and disadvantages of various technologies for particular types of learning,
As stated above, I believe the biggest advantage of various technology is giving students opportunity to take control in their learning and provide interactive learning. Interactive lessons are an advantage to all students who can’t learn to their full potential from a lecture. I believe it is impossible for students to learn when a teacher stands up in front of a classroom, spilling information for hours, and expect student to learn and apply their learning. With technology websites of today, it helps students get their attention and stay engaged. There are websites such as blogger and Google docs, that lets students and teachers be able to create work together as a class. As you know, schools are facing many financial draws backs, which limits activities such as field trips. Now with technology like Skype, students can take a virtual field trips to further their understanding of the curriculum and enhance their experience. Technology even helps teachers save time with programs like Easy Grade Pro. When teachers save time on paper work and grading, it is direct translation to spending more time with the students.

Although technology provides many great advantages, there are also disadvantages for learners. Technology can be a huge distraction for many students. If students are put to a computer to research, they are able to surf any website when there is no constant supervision. Another disadvantage is the amount of time it takes to teach students how to use the technology. Technology websites like Google docs can take hours out of classroom time. There is also a big risk of the technology failing. Many websites which are free, are hard to depend on because there are many glitches and flaws that can occur. Students can be working on a website for hours and suddenly crash. For teachers, it might work perfectly at home but fail in the classroom.

• some specifics for how you will use technology in your own classroom, including technologies to support diverse learners.
After exploring technology this past quarter, I was able to find some specifics for how I will use technology in my own classroom. Since I plan to teach primary grades, I want to create videos through Animoto to grab my student’s attention when I am introducing a whole new subject. For example, I can create a video about the water cycle to help students remember the cycle. If budget cuts continue, I plan to use Skype to bring in guest speakers and go on virtual field trips to help my lesson come to life. Easy Grade Pro is something I would definitely use in my classroom to make grading faster and takes the time left over to spend with my students. Electronic dictionaries can be helpful for my students to take control of their learning and find for themselves. More specifically, students who are second English language learners can benefit from electronic dictionaries that translate from their language to English. This can be very helpful to further their vocabulary, reading, and writing skills. One easy simple technology tool I would provide is pencil grips. Since I am planning to teach primary ages, many students will be developing their fine motor skills. Technology like pencil grip can help students develop their fine motor skills and provide students the tools to write.

Peer's Self-Chosen Projects

1. Which technology do you think you would be most likely to use in your future classroom and why?
Easy Grade Pro
-Fast way to document student’s grades
-Fast way to set up seating chart
-Fast way to take attendance
-Does the math work (weight of grades)
-Offers tons of options for each grade sheet

2. Which technology do you think you would be least likely to use and why?
Toon Doo
-inappropriate images on this online service
-can’t teach full lessons
-text box is limited
-easy way to get kids distracted
-focuses on playing around rather than the content

3. What did you learn about instructional strategies from your peers that you might put into effect in your future classroom?
-The importance of interaction in any service you use

5. What was the most fascinating thin you learned from your peers today?
-Virtual field trips through skype
-Online quiz testing for practice
-Creative ways to present lesson material