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valuable technologies in the classroom

                                               
     
     I think it will really all depend on the school that i am accepted to teach at. Depending on what technologies the school offers i would really like to use the smart notebook project in my future classroom. Even though it took forever and it got annoying at times i really think it will help make learning seem more exciting for my students, especially at the second grade level. There are so many activities you can include to get the students involved which will help keep their attention on a subject. I would also like to use a blogging site because i think it is neat and a good way for students to be able to express themselves on certain topics but unfortunately i do not think it is appropriate for this young of an age group. They need to spend more time learning how to write with pen and paper first.
     I hope their is a smart board in my future classroom because i would be able to present information in so many different ways. There are so many different types of learning styles i really think technology helps make learning easier for everyone. I would love to include a lot of the projects we did in class but i do not think second grades will be able to do this type of work just yet.  At age 7-8 children still need to focus on learning the basics, i think some of the activities we did in class would be to much for them at the moment. The best i can do is just use the skills i learned form the class to make fun ways to present material to children.   

Blogging in the Classroom

     I think blogging is a great way to be able to express yourself and is a good way to be able to maybe say how you feel on a subject with confidence if you are to shy to say something during a class lecture. I think blogging would be a great addition  into a classroom setting but i unfortunately do not think i will be using it in my own classroom. I want to teach younger students, second graders to be exact, and I think that at this age they should be focusing more on learning how to write with pen and paper before i give them a blogging account. Second grade English material is not that complex so i do not think they will have much to "express" on the subject just yet. I am no saying they do not have an opinion i just do not feel it needs to be expressed in a blog.
     Today's generation is so dependent on technology though that by the time i actually become a teacher this feeling might change. A lot of classroom are incorporating smart boards, tablets, and using e-books now that blogging might be included in younger classrooms as well. Typing is a major skill that school are trying to teach at a young age in a few years typing might just replace writing all together. They no longer teach cursive anymore so what makes us think that writing is not to far behind of being forgotten as well....

A Multitasking Society

     In today's world multitasking is basically the most important skill we must obtain. We do our homework, go on twitter, listen to music, text, and even watch TV all at the same time. Sometimes for me this becomes to much of a distraction....and I find myself having to hide my phone just in order to get my homework done but we are such a fast paced generation that doing one thing at a time just doesn't happen anymore. I do think that multitasking can be considered a good thing but there is also a lot of obvious reason why multitasking is looked down upon. Yes it can be used to used to get more things done in a shorter period of time but that does not always mean those tasks get done well.

     Everyone thinks they can do everything all at once but sometimes we just need to take a step back and slow down. It is ridiculous when I see people driving on the highway in the morning putting on make up, drinking coffee, talking on the phone, and trying to handle their child screaming in the back seat. I agree that it can sometimes be used as a reward system to get yourself through boring tasks but there is a time and a place where multitasking is appropriate. I feel that same way when it comes to the classroom. Yes time is money now but if we are paying so much for our education why do we waste time in class checking our phone, doing other homework, going on twitter, and "trying" to listen to the current lecture. I see more kids in my class doing other things than paying attention but then wonder why their grades suffer. The teacher has to go back and explain what they just said because the student asking the question wasn't listening in the first place.

     We all have our own way of getting things done but I do think there is an appropriate time and place to multitask. It is still one of the most important skills someone can learn though, because our world is so fasted paced,  weather we like it or not,if we do not learn to multitask we will easily fall behind.

A New Era of Reading and Writing.

 

      Students of the 21st century are learning in a much different style then those of generations before us. Now students have access to computers, tablets, smart boards, and so much more in almost every classroom. Information is obtained though textbooks, lectures, videos from YouTube, and activities on smart boards or other educational websites, that make learning appear more exciting to keep children focused.
     When i first began school i could always count on paper and pens being on my school supply list but now a days most children don't even need to carry around a textbook. Homework is done online and textbooks can be accessed by a touch of a finger....A perfect example of this type of learning is my cousin Gabby who is now attending 4th grade back in my hometown of Cleveland. Most of her textbooks are supplied for her in the classroom but when it comes time to do homework she never has to carry a book home. All her books are accessible on her kindle and most of her homework is turned in over the internet. All the classrooms in her school are filled with smart boards where they are used to access videos and power points to include as much information as possible into a lecture.
     To some degree i think this is super cool and i think she is extremely lucky to be so privileged but at the same time i feel like schools are becoming to dependent on technology. At the fourth grade level students are just beginning to comprehend the rules of the English language and "typing" is not "writing". Technology is growing everyday and i think it is definitely necessary to keep up with the times but i do not believe that it should be the main source of how we learn. There is still going to be glitched in software's and if anything happened in a classroom where a lesson plan is based on all technology usage then the children would be set behind because they would not be able to to access the material.

technology in the classroom

What do I know and think about integrating technology in the classroom?

     I think integrating technology into the classrooms is a really good idea and extremely helpful. It makes it an easy access to other resources, to include extra examples for material. Also, I think it all the different requirements for different learning styles are met all at once. We are able to watch, listen, and even react with technology making any learning style accessible right from the basic classroom. Technology grows every day and it is important to keep up no matter what generation we come from.It makes learning new material seem easy and enjoyable instead of a chore. Students are more likely to stay focused because there is variety, which to me seems like a good reason to add our everyday technology into learning environments. (: