Blog Post #7

1. Watching these videos this week has opened my eyes and mind even more to using technology as a tool for instruction in the classroom. I believed that I will have to continue to learn and use various different types of technology. This includes different softwares, programs, devices, search engines, and much more. In order to get the most use out of this technology, I must know not only how they work, but how well they flourish in a classroom setting. Some type of technology might not be suitable for a kindergarten class, and some technology might not be suitable for high school classroom. We as teachers must always be continual learners, but we are the device through which students master their learning experiences so we must also be well versed in technology. I think that being able to see first hand how a teachers applies technology to project based lesson plans will be crucial to my future classroom as well. Being able to see the advantages and even participate in these technology driven projects will not only encourage me to use them in my own future classes, but to also learn what does/did/has/ or hasn't worked for other teachers and their students.

2. I learned about how valuable and easy it is to use the Alabama Virtual Library, as well as iMovie from watching Using iMovie and the Alabama Virtual Library in Kindergarten. Dr. Strange has an exciting conversation about how these tools have really helped and encouraged kindergarten students in both Daphne and Gulf Shores Elementary schools. Both Mrs, Bennett and Mrs. Davis were very excited to share their experiences with this technology in kindergarten classes. I honestly couldn't believe that these young students were using so much technology on a weekly basis!
In their continued conversation video We All Become Learners, Mrs. Bennett tells about how thrilling it was to have her students teach her how to use some of the technology in their school. She tells of how more and more teachers are turning to their own students to learn how to navigate new tools, websites, and other technological advancements in Gulf Shores Elementary. She states that it is much easier to teach when everyone is learning, because there are no barriers and learning has the potential to become limitless.
In the videos iPads in the Classroom and Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education, we can see how new technology is not only useful and convenient for all teachers, but can also engage students in exciting and hands on learning processes. Students get excited about new technology  and enjoy using it. I have learned that when students become excited about using technology and about learning, they are more likely to retain what they learn and are able to use it in real-world application.  Technology offers a wider variety of resources and opens the students minds to real-world application of the information they find and the technology they are using to find it. Not only are students more engaged and excited about learning, but teachers are also able to give more instruction in class, have less classroom disturbances (such as behavioral problems), and can answer more problem-solving questions in class. This type of learning experience also resolves the resentment that students often feel towards homework, which could potentially motivate any student to push forward in their academic career (completing high school and even college).

Overall, I can say with my experience from this class and the knowledge I've gained through my PLN, that technology in the classroom will never be a disadvantage, not to our teachers, and definitely not to our students. The sky is the limit when we have limitless access to limitless information.






Check out this video on YouTube. I would love to have a classroom full of technology one day!