Using Technology: Where do I stand?

As a new, inexperienced teacher, incorporating technology can be very difficult.  As I was working on my degree in education, I didn't have the opportunity to develop a good understanding of how to include the use of technology in my classroom.  So, as I sit and prepare lessons the one topic that is farthest from my mind is how can I incorporate technology in this lesson that will benefit my students later down the road.  I remember going through high school and at the most, we would get to make a PowerPoint and of course had to write research papers but we were never given a task that would broaden our understanding and ability to use technology in our lives.

A few weeks ago, I encountered the term "digital native" and it was defined as someone who was born before the age of digital technology and the term "digital immigrant" which is someone who was born before the age of digital techonolgy.  Those who are natives adapt so well to new technology and without any guidance or direction they can make it do whatever they want it to and digital immigrants are often afraid to turn on the device.  I'm slighlty puzzled as to where I fit into this category.  Digital technology was up and coming, but no where near to the extent as it is now.  I remember getting our first desktop computer at home, it was an HP and had Windows Millenium edition and we had CompuServe dial-up internet.  I didn't get my first cell phone until high school, back when text messages were 2 cents to send and 3 cents to receive, so I wasn't allowed to send text messages.  And the only game I had was called Snake and of course, there was no color.  So, I don't consider myself a native nor do I consider myself an immigrant.  I don't adapt to new technology as easy as my students do, but I do adapt easier than those who are older than me.

I struggled with deciding where I fit in the technology matrix.  I have very limited access to technology in my classroom, unless I take my students to a computer lab which can often be a hassle.  Right now, I would put myself in the active and entry category.  My students are using technology to prepare their presentations for class projects, researching topics, and last semester my students had writing prompts to respond to.  I use technology such as PowerPoint, YouTube, and Google to deliver the content I'm covering in class.  I also have a document camera, which allows students to see what I am doing on the screen from their seats.

I'm looking forward to discovering ways to include technology in a way that my students are engaged in the topic and learn life long skills that will enable them to continue to adapt.  With the technology we have available to us today, our students have the opportunity to collaborate not only amongst themselves but with people from around the world.  As the school year draws to a close, I will be looking for ways to adapt my students learning for next year using technology.  I can only hope that in the years to come, I will become a leader in technology integration in my school corporation.

Blended & Online Learning:

An opportunity for our students to succeed in a nontraditional way!

Acquiring knowledge no longer takes place in just a classroom, but continues to change through the combination of tradition and technology.  Blended learning is when a student participates in learning both at school, or in a "brick and mortar" setting, and online where they have a little more control and receive their instruction primarily over the Internet.

As I write this, I'm thinking about my classroom this year.  As a first year teacher, I don't have a lot of experience in the classroom but there are a few things that come to mind.  The biggest issue I have had all year and be summed up in one word: attendance.  Obviously, students miss for health reasons which limits their ability to complete assignments but some students miss because of planned and unexpected family trips.  That is where technology comes into play.  That is where technology comes into play.  They can be miles away and still post on a discussion board, watch a required video, download, complete, and upload a required worksheet, without even setting foot in your classroom.  How many of them have Smartphones?  If so, they can even access the needed websites on their phones, which brings me to my next point.

Our students today are driven by technology.  Everything that they do during the day uses technology in some way, shape, or form.  Why not allow them to do their work in a way that they are most familiar?  Although I oppose the idea of removing traditional work (handwriting skills without the aid of spell and grammar checks) completely, we have to face the fact that this is the direction our culture is headed.  As educators, we must be proactive and start allowing our pupils to learn in a way that is comfortable to them and easily accessible.  All three of my textbooks have eBooks, so students can access their books and complete their assignments online without having to break their backs with backpacks full of textbooks and notebooks.

With every positive thing, however, there is always a negative.  I made mention about Smartphone earlier, but in poor, rural corporations, such as mine, some students don't have Smartphones, or access to the Internet, or even a computer unless they are at school.  We, the teachers, need to be prepared for that.  I am fortunate enough to have 15 laptops available to me, and though they are not the greatest in the world, they get the job done.  I can't assign online work at the end of class and expect it to be done the next day, however.  I have to be flexible and allow those students who do not have access at home enough time to complete the assignments at school.

Consequently, blended and online learning is our future.  It's coming and we have to be proactive and accept it.  Unfortunately, those educators who choose to ignore it will be left in the dust, lost, and labeled ineffective.  Are you ready?