Week I and II

In week one, I created a wikispace which gave my classmates some insight into my background, views on technology, and the role of its applications in education. This was a good way to gain some knowledge about my colleagues. Seeing the diversity of their backgrounds was neat. Most input concerning technology was positive, and I think we all realize it is not going away. My rapport with my students is probably my best attribute. I used to do student profiles to gain knowledge of their likes and dislikes, but I will be switching to the wikispace. This application will be an innovative way for me to gain knowledge about my student’s interests.

Week two included the creation of a blog. Wow! What an experience. I thought I was fairly informed on the uses of technology, but I had never created a blog. This has been an eye opener. The assignments have been very practical and applicable. The hands-on projects have been beneficial in seeing how and where these technologies could be used. From the readings this week, I can see that using these tools as a journal for students to keep track of various concepts would be of great benefit, and the students could gain understanding from each other. It would also be a good way for me to communicate a schedule with my students as well as their parents.

My technology tool investigation is on Smart Board technologies. I have been using this technology through all five years of my teaching career. I teach in a total inclusion classroom, and it has been beneficial to all of my students. It has allowed students with disabilities to participate in classroom activities and be independent learners. This tool has also brought life to my lessons by providing learning opportunities for all learning styles. I will provide more details on this technology at the course wiki site.