The education profession is changing very rapidly. The
infusion of technology and 21st century skills is altering the way
we look at teaching and learning. It has not only altered my teaching style, but
has become the backbone in which all of my classes are conducted. This change
is not something that has happened overnight. It took time to develop my
understanding of the purpose of technology within the classroom. I had to
understand what it meant to use technology and how the students would interact
and learn with that technology. A few years ago, during a professional
development, the idea of using technology was put into perspective for me. A
fellow colleague, who happens to be a technology guru, was talking about incorporating more than
just PowerPoint into the classroom. During the professional development, the
overall session focused on how technology does not replace teaching, but that technology
should be used as an accelerator to learning. That session really put the whole
idea of teaching with technology into focus for me, thus altering the way I
think about technology and learning. In all of my lessons I know that
technology does not replace good teaching; it moves it forward by connecting
students to information. When you ask a student to look something up, they
don’t go to the library or use (dare I say it) the card catalogue. They Google
it! Technology and information are literally at their fingertips, and it is my
role as the teacher to help students use and access that information to
accelerate their learning. As I continue to explore the idea of using
technology as an accelerator to learning, I will blog about my experiences and
usefulness in the classroom.
Technology has become the center of our lives in the 21st century. As a product of schools prior to the use of technology I feel at times behind the eight ball. Three years ago I was totally out of the loop. I am becoming more receptive to incorporating technology in all aspects of my life professionally and personally. The more I use technology the more comfortable I become. I started the graduate program at Loyola and taking the first course in the Cohort was entirely online and my comfort level with technology improved as a result. I used Edmodo in my classes as a form of technology for students to get assignments and communicate with me. I have used power points as a means of instructional delivery. Power points are becoming more the norm but other modes of technology are being used. I was introduced to other means of technology by the Stat teacher at my school. Some of the other means of technology which were used included voice thread, powtoons, and prezzi.. My students completed presentations which involved using these forms of technology. I hope to continue to use technology as I become more at ease with it. As a professional I continue to grow with using and becoming more comfortable with it.
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