My goals for this class are simple, make myself a better teacher. To do this I think that I really need to learn different ways that I can incorporate technology into my classroom. Working at a low income school, where I know that most of the students are not going to have access to a computer or internet connection at home, I know that the technology that I do use has to be contained within the four walls of my classroom. I have a few of the basics that I need to integrate this technology. I have a few computers with internet access. I have a projector and a document camera. What I’m hoping to get out of this class is a way to creatively use what I have to the benefit of my students. I want to be able to use the things that I do have to experience and teach things that I haven’t been able to before. I want to not only teach my students with computers and technology, I want to teach my students about computers and technology. I remember that when I was in elementary school we learned about the different things that a computer could do. We were not just stuck at a computer doing drills or solving math problems. I was taught how to use paint and word. As I got older I was taught how to do different things with these programs, but because I had already been introduced to them, it was easier for me to learn new skills.
Things are changing so quickly. It’s frustrating sometimes that schools are not changing just as quickly. I mean why not assign a group of students to create a power point presentation? They will need to do it in college, why wait till then to learn. Now, I know I’m not going to have my first graders make a power point presentation, but why can’t I have them looking up information and reading about weather, or butterflies? I hope that by the end of this class I can learn about some age appropriate ways to use technology with my first graders.
As a teacher I would ideally love to have a class webpage that parents can look at to see what the class is doing and what specifically their child is learning about. I know that right now with the class that I’m teaching at the school where I’m teaching this might not be possible. This doesn’t mean that one day the situation won’t be different. For this reason I would like to build up a knowledge base. Information that I can refer back to if and when I am in the position to put up a class website and use the internet as a form of communication between myself and my students and their parents.
My Goals For Education 515 February 21, 2010
Advertisement
Rose your goals are great, I think you will leave enough knowledge to help your students in the now and in the future. You have good ideas about teaching them power point, word, etc..it is best to teach them now then to wait till college or high school because even in high school they are using programs such as power point for reports. I do agree with you it is frustrating that schools cannot keep up but they should have a person who can write up grants to get the necessary things teachers need since the budgets cant help.
That’s a good distrinction you make between using technology as a teacher and teaching the students how to use technology themselves. It took me a while to get that. When I first started my credential program I kept hearing about integrating technology, but I thought I was the one who was supposed to be using it and it was only for the purpose of diferentiating instruction for students with different intelligences. It wasn’t until I was already in this masters program that the light went on and I realized not only are there technology standards for teachers, but for students as well. At that point my lesson planning took on a somewhat different look than before. I wish someone would have told me sooner.
How fun it will be to have a class website where parents can see what their children are studying, check the nightly homework, and leave comments for the teacher. Parents can then have a better understanding of what their children are learning and can have talks about it. It seems like one of the best tools to use for the school-home connection which is so highly promoted.
Same goals as mine, make myself a better teacher to maximize student learning. Since technology is such a powerful tool learning technology and keeping current with it is a great way to make myself a better teacher. Unfortunately as far as which programs schools get for computers, the process may be like the way textbooks are bought. Politics are part of the consideration in which computer program is bought, and the best programs are not always purchased. Maybe no or little research is done to find the best computer programs. So we put up with computer programs that teach by drill and eye candy but get boring quickly. How bout make a goal to find the best educational games yourself and ask the principal about using them in you own class? What are the chances? See if the school can pay for the programs? Convince the principal your program is a better learning tool for the students.