Technology in Education

Technology in Education Class

The homework is all done (almost).  The class will be done in less than a week.  And I have learned a tremendous amount.  Do I still need help with technology?  Absolutely, but I feel more confident and knowledgeable about using technology.  When I first entered the class in late August, my biggest concern was to gain more information about using the SmartBoard.  As the class concludes I have learned more than I thought possible.  My overall technology skills are still shaky, but I have some "cool tools" under my belt.

Just this week I was working with a student who has trouble getting her ideas down in written form.  I decided to use a graphic organizer for her to brainstorm before writing.  I initially grabbed a paper and pencil.  Then I realized popplet would do the same job and probably be more interesting to the student.  She loved it and not only were her ideas well organized before she wrote, but she enjoyed the process of creating her first popplet.

And I think that experience summarizes my tech situation at this point.  Now that I know about the sites like Blabberize, quizlet, popplet, voki, prezi, and edmodo, I am more likely to use them.  I am now also more aware of the power of networking on the computer as an educator and a lifelong learner.  So through all the hours at the laptop, deleting of information, time spent yelling as I created my website, figuring out embedding and linking, the newly acquired computer knowledge has made it worth it.  I am more prepared to engage learners of the 21st century and to use technology effectively in my life.