Hello readers and fellow bloggers,
I am Bethany Guthrie, an education
student at Redeemer University College. In the field of education I
am interested in becoming a special education teacher. From personal
experiences I have found that I really love working with children
with unique abilities to help them realize and reach their full
potential! I have also noticed that children who have difficulty
focusing and learning with the conventional methods of book and
pencils often excel at expressing their skills and knowledge through
other means such as technology.
My reason for taking this course is to
come to a better understanding of how technology can be useful in
classroom settings. I hope to become more confident with the
different uses of technology so that I will be able to use it
appropriately and most effectively in a classroom. I know there is
soooo much technology out there today and I cannot even pretend that
we will cover it all in this class. However at least by beginning
with the basics and gaining a bit more advanced knowledge about the
use of digital technology in the classroom I will be more comfortable
with implementing it and seeking means to learn more about it.
Personally I am not all that efficient
or knowledgeable when it comes to technology. I am willing to learn
about its benefits and how to use it. I am not a fan of students
having Ipods and phones in the classroom because they can be BIG
distractions. I am not saying that I am against technology in the
classroom but I do believe that it needs to be used appropriately and
responsibly to have successful results. I know there are benefits for
many students by having the opportunity to use technology. It can
have them engage with their work on a whole new and exciting level.
The a primary role of education is to prepare children for the world
outside of schools, and since this world has become so
technologically oriented it is import to prepare students for that
world. My only concern about implementing technology in the classroom
is the balance of digital technology and non-technology uses. It
should be an integration not a supplementation.
The following link is for a small
article which examines the views of some middle grade teachers and
their changed views towards digital technology in the classroom. I
found it very relatable in the fact that I know digi. tech. can be
useful but I am unsure of how.
Enjoy!
Hey Bethany. I am encouraged and inspired by your interest in spec.ed. I spent 13 years teaching but I don't think I really helped any of the children who struggled to learn by the conventional pencil and paper means. Despite my 13 years of experience, I feel so new at all of this! But I'm inspired to have a second chance at helping all children learn! I liked your realistic reminder that we can't pretend that we will cover all of the tech learning in this class. The onus is on us to seek means to learn more about it. I've been devouring some twitter feeds since last week and am amazed (and a bit overwhelmed) at the wealth of knowledge out there as I seek to learn more about it!
ReplyDeletebtw, I like the name of your blog :)
Thanks for the comments Jacqueline. I must agree with you about being overwhelmed! There is so much technology and programs that are available to us it is hard to know how to begin!
DeleteThanks for the thoughts. I appreciate your approach, trying to get some basics and foundational information that you can use to build on. I like your line, " It should be an integration not a supplementation." It reminds me of a quote that I once read, "a good use of technology will supplement, not supplant, good teaching"
ReplyDelete