Introduction
Technology has gone a long way to be a big part of academic success in the classroom. When I started school at the age of 6 in 2002, we had 3 computers in the classroom. In first grade until third grade, my teachers would use overhead projectors to do things step by step for us to follow. By the time I was in fourth grade, we started to get smartboards in the classroom and had access to laptops for papers that needed to be typed up. Technology has continued to grow in education and has served us well and also caused problems. Incorporating technology into the classroom is a big focus for me as a teacher in the future.
Short Term Goals
In my first couple years of teaching, I plan on making a statement with the use of technology.
It is my belief that all teachers must adapt and be flexible with students' needs. Having said that, I believe technology in the classroom is important to incorporate. "There is an increasing research on the effectiveness and benefits of the integration computer technology in education in recent years" (Asickalin 18). While many teachers believe they have the best methods, I think it is important to give students the choice. From this article, I have found that a lot more goes into the technology incorporated in classrooms than I originally thought. It is important for all teachers to learn about different methods so all students have the best chance to succeed.
With many resources available such as iPads, nooks, Chromebooks, and more, it is extremely important to me that I am able to use all technology available to the best of my ability to assist my students in learning. I see myself as a board member for technology education. I plan to advocate for the use of computers and/or tablets in the classroom as long as they can be monitored and distributed equally at an efficient price. Most importantly, I must have a plan of action for the students to use it efficiently and be successful. With my discoveries from Hilton's article, I found both SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) and TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) to be very useful. With the opportunity to completely redevelop any directions and monitor students is going to help me provide them with better success.
As someone who has been faced with adversity and been diagnosed with autism and a learning disability, I found having a computer to be crucial to my success throughout grade school. Organization is something I need in order to stay on task and not get stressed out. Unfortunately, I often stress because I am not always the best at keeping my folders organized. For students who may suffer like me, I want to create all assignments and folders online for students to ensure that they are able to stay organized. I can also have access to these folders so I can check-up with everyone once a week.
Another big issue I had growing up was reading. I still today have a difficult time reading. So why not make all books on tape? Well it is not as easy you may think. First of all, it is going to cost a lot of money. Second, many people argue that one cannot become a better reader if he or she is relying on audio books. Akar talks about how we can help treat reading disabilities. However, I think we can go a step further and accept the challenges and help by scaffolding students. I believe books on tape are extremely helpful and will always be available if we want them to be.
Something I have found to be extremely effective as a college student is online quizzes. While the idea sounds sketchy because answers are able to be looked up, I realized that it is okay to allow that. I want to give students assignments for homework that allow me to monitor how long they are working on certain assignments so I can work with them and help them out where it is needed most. I also think open book quizzes give each student a motive to read more.
Long Term Vision
Five years into my teaching career will be the school year of 2023-2024. By this time, I am hoping that all students in my classroom have access to a Chromebook. With their Chromebook, I believe they will be able to convert it into a tablet and use educational apps. I am hoping for an on and off switch that enables them to have a home mode and school mode for their apps. I believe it is better if parents have the capability to do this and monitor their children. With a capability like this, I would most definitely consider changing from Apple to Google in order to connect more with my students. Throughout this project, I have found many different ways to incorporate apps into the class curriculum, and I am hoping that it only improves and it becomes more realistic to access these great features.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am optimistic about the the future of technology and education. I believe students who would not have been successful 10 years ago, will be successful now because of the great opportunities of technology. I am eager to help make a difference in the lives of so many, and continue to advocate for all student needs regardless of their needs.
References
Acikalin, M., & Duru, E. (2005). The Use of Computer Technologies in the Social Studies Classroom. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET, 4(2), 18-26.
Akar, C. (2017). Determining the Effectiveness of Audio-Recording Method in the Treatment of Reading Disability. Reading Improvement, 54(2), 45-55.
Deeter, Christopher L, "The effect of online quizzes on student achievement in high school chemistry" (2008). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. AAI3309215.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3309215
Eaton, S. E., Gereluk, D., Dressler, R., & Becker, S. (2017). A Rural Education Teacher Preparation Program: Course Design, Student Support and Engagement.
Hilton, J. T. (2016). A Case Study of the Application of SAMR and TPACK for Reflection on Technology Integration into Two Social Studies Classrooms. Social Studies, 107(2), 68-73.
Technology has gone a long way to be a big part of academic success in the classroom. When I started school at the age of 6 in 2002, we had 3 computers in the classroom. In first grade until third grade, my teachers would use overhead projectors to do things step by step for us to follow. By the time I was in fourth grade, we started to get smartboards in the classroom and had access to laptops for papers that needed to be typed up. Technology has continued to grow in education and has served us well and also caused problems. Incorporating technology into the classroom is a big focus for me as a teacher in the future.
Short Term Goals
In my first couple years of teaching, I plan on making a statement with the use of technology.
It is my belief that all teachers must adapt and be flexible with students' needs. Having said that, I believe technology in the classroom is important to incorporate. "There is an increasing research on the effectiveness and benefits of the integration computer technology in education in recent years" (Asickalin 18). While many teachers believe they have the best methods, I think it is important to give students the choice. From this article, I have found that a lot more goes into the technology incorporated in classrooms than I originally thought. It is important for all teachers to learn about different methods so all students have the best chance to succeed.
With many resources available such as iPads, nooks, Chromebooks, and more, it is extremely important to me that I am able to use all technology available to the best of my ability to assist my students in learning. I see myself as a board member for technology education. I plan to advocate for the use of computers and/or tablets in the classroom as long as they can be monitored and distributed equally at an efficient price. Most importantly, I must have a plan of action for the students to use it efficiently and be successful. With my discoveries from Hilton's article, I found both SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) and TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) to be very useful. With the opportunity to completely redevelop any directions and monitor students is going to help me provide them with better success.
As someone who has been faced with adversity and been diagnosed with autism and a learning disability, I found having a computer to be crucial to my success throughout grade school. Organization is something I need in order to stay on task and not get stressed out. Unfortunately, I often stress because I am not always the best at keeping my folders organized. For students who may suffer like me, I want to create all assignments and folders online for students to ensure that they are able to stay organized. I can also have access to these folders so I can check-up with everyone once a week.
Another big issue I had growing up was reading. I still today have a difficult time reading. So why not make all books on tape? Well it is not as easy you may think. First of all, it is going to cost a lot of money. Second, many people argue that one cannot become a better reader if he or she is relying on audio books. Akar talks about how we can help treat reading disabilities. However, I think we can go a step further and accept the challenges and help by scaffolding students. I believe books on tape are extremely helpful and will always be available if we want them to be.
Something I have found to be extremely effective as a college student is online quizzes. While the idea sounds sketchy because answers are able to be looked up, I realized that it is okay to allow that. I want to give students assignments for homework that allow me to monitor how long they are working on certain assignments so I can work with them and help them out where it is needed most. I also think open book quizzes give each student a motive to read more.
Long Term Vision
Five years into my teaching career will be the school year of 2023-2024. By this time, I am hoping that all students in my classroom have access to a Chromebook. With their Chromebook, I believe they will be able to convert it into a tablet and use educational apps. I am hoping for an on and off switch that enables them to have a home mode and school mode for their apps. I believe it is better if parents have the capability to do this and monitor their children. With a capability like this, I would most definitely consider changing from Apple to Google in order to connect more with my students. Throughout this project, I have found many different ways to incorporate apps into the class curriculum, and I am hoping that it only improves and it becomes more realistic to access these great features.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am optimistic about the the future of technology and education. I believe students who would not have been successful 10 years ago, will be successful now because of the great opportunities of technology. I am eager to help make a difference in the lives of so many, and continue to advocate for all student needs regardless of their needs.
References
Acikalin, M., & Duru, E. (2005). The Use of Computer Technologies in the Social Studies Classroom. Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET, 4(2), 18-26.
Akar, C. (2017). Determining the Effectiveness of Audio-Recording Method in the Treatment of Reading Disability. Reading Improvement, 54(2), 45-55.
Deeter, Christopher L, "The effect of online quizzes on student achievement in high school chemistry" (2008). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. AAI3309215.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3309215
Eaton, S. E., Gereluk, D., Dressler, R., & Becker, S. (2017). A Rural Education Teacher Preparation Program: Course Design, Student Support and Engagement.
Hilton, J. T. (2016). A Case Study of the Application of SAMR and TPACK for Reflection on Technology Integration into Two Social Studies Classrooms. Social Studies, 107(2), 68-73.