Last Personal Post

It's a shame that I was not able to post much more on this website. I found this semester to be extremely challenging for me in regards to managing my time. Overall, I really enjoy blogging and getting my thoughts down through here. It makes me feel as those I have made my thoughts more tangible and more permanent than just letting them eventually fizzle out somewhere in my mind or memory.

I think it's extremely beneficial in this process towards becoming a teacher to document your feelings, concerns, new ideas, and beliefs. I would like to continue this process and post more next semester during my fieldwork, possibly update some of my older posts with things that have worked for me in regards to technology in the classroom, etc. I feel more comfortable exploring new technologies even just by writing about them here, whether I've picked them up yet or not. Just knowing that I am willing to explore is a great feeling and knowing that I am willing to go out of my comfort zone.

This is a small reflection on this class, how I felt originally and where I am at now...

I started off with this class wondering just what "technology" really meant. The first assignment asked us to list the technologies we used mostly in our everyday lives. I can admit that I could only think of very few "technologies" at all. These included my cell phone, my ipod, and my computer. But this small list has gradually expanded and has given me the opportunity to explore what technology means, and what can be effective in the classroom and what cannot. I enjoyed learning about the history of technology through the videos provided-- I think having us answer questions based on the video had me really pay attention to them and comprehend them more than if we were just given the option to watch them.

I have come to realize that "technology" does not just mean where we are at now. At one time, a pen was a new technology. The projectors with the individual slides was a technology. It also means new products in the future, such as the Google Goggles I mentioned in a previous post. I am at the point where I realize that as a teacher, you must not force technology into your classroom, but be able to use it as an aid in your lessons. Rather than force, it should be infused to make your lesson even BETTER than it would be otherwise. By doing so, you can transform the way students learn subject matter and perhaps make it more relevant to them, as their lives are centered very highly around technology (this goes back to the idea of digital immigrants vs. natives). Teachers must be willing to adapt themselves, to make themselves vulnerable in order to make their lessons more effective-- even if that means having students know more about the technology than you do (they can always teach you things too!)

Though this is my last "mandatory" post for a grade, I'd like to continue personally for my own benefit with this blog, as I continue my own journey to becoming a knowledgeable and experienced teacher.