Feeling Better About Technology

I will admit that I was a little nervous to take a class covering Educational Technology because I did not know a lot about the subject matter and I often get a little nervous learning something new. I was feeling more at ease as the first night went on because the instructor was very welcoming and made the class time interesting and not at all overwhelming.

I am no longer feeling nervous about Educational Technology and feel more confident in utilizing the tools I practiced in class someday in my own classroom. I really enjoyed learning how technology can help students of all learning abilities become successful inside and outside of the classroom. I learned that technology, when used in the right way, can be fun and shared in a responsible way. One does not have to shy away from it. Technology is a great way to keep the lines of communication open between the teacher and student and the teacher and the parent; as well. Parents are always looking for better communication with their child's teacher so that they may know what exactly their child is learning in the classroom. Apps like Seesaw and Edmodo help them keep in touch and see through text, video, or picture what learning is actually taking place.

I know that as an educator, it is my responsibility to keep up with the different learning trends in the classroom in order to better help my students become successful. I know that as technology evolves, it will be my responsibility to keep up in order to be ahead of my students. I can only imagine how far technology will go in the future.

It is a big responsibility in schools today, to be able to supply students with the technology tools (iPads, chrome books, laptops, etc.) and it’s quite costly too. 1:1 classrooms are emerging more and more and some students are able to take their devices home and not just leave them at school. Some schools feel that a lot of screen time is necessary, but others feel it does need to be limited to a degree. My fifth grader brings her iPad home every day and loves to watch videos and play games on it. My Kindergartener keeps her iPad at school because it is shared among the grade classes. She has a tablet to use at home. They both love their devices and often don’t like playing with other things if they are allowed on their devices. I think it will be good to find a healthy balance in order to not be so attached to their devices. I love how my kids and I can grow in our learning together.