Thoughtful+Analysis

 Thoughtful Analysis

It can be hard for teachers to accommodate and adapt for each and every student in their class room when there are multiple needs to be met. Using the advancement of technology to our advantage and to the advantage of our students can be a very beneficial and easy way to make sure that all of the students get the same opportunity to the same information. This past semester has really opened my eyes to the technology available around me. I feel so much more confident approaching technology in the classroom through just basic trial and error that we have been able to do in this class.

Reflecting back on the information that we covered I wish that I was able to take this course earlier on in my education at the University. I think I would have been able to manipulate and put to use much of the technology that we covered both for my lessons and for my own mental sanity. The Google Docs are a vital element in creating a good group project and it makes scheduling and conflicts so much easier to work around. The podcasts that we were able to do through a regular Mac computer was a cool experience for me as well. I loved books on tape when I was younger. I think that the use of podcasts will be important in my future classes, especially if I continue on in Special Education. Podcasts with simple tasks or with full stories will be such a nice thing to have at hand and ready to use. Even for those rainy days that never end, if I keep up with podcasting and have those ready for students, there will never be a wasted minute in my class.

My actual success in the class has come often after the initial projects were done. I enjoy tinkering with the different sites and resources that we have come across but I often found myself finding the fun nooks after our projects were do. Having this online portfolio is nice for me in that respect that I have been able to make the fun changes I wanted and I know will be able to come back to them in the future to see what I am actually able to do. New technology intimidates me to be honest, but The way I have learned this semester has shown me I am capable of doing some good work.

Looking back on the lessons that I have written the past three years I can see how much technology can improve the way students grasp the information. I know that in both student teaching and in my future job I will incorporate all of the resources the school has to offer, and even try to bring in some of my own if it is applicable. It is truly amazing all of the technology out in the world that schools and districts could benefit from. The field is not slowing down and the students are right there with it. It is important as educators to embrace the changes while remaining with the standards and objectives. Whether it be a simple improvement to one student’s learning or a great success story form a class use, there is no escaping the importance of technology in our classroom.