I always thought of myself as someone who was fairly knowledgeable and secure with my capabilities when it came to technology. After Thursday night's class, I definitely took a step back and questioned how much I really knew. While I am always looking for new ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, that search often includes blinders. I look for things that are marketed towards schools, kids, and learning, instead of looking at technology options as a whole and asking how it can be tailored towards students.
In my classroom, I am extremely fortunate to have an Activboard to help facilitate instruction with the inclusion of technology on a daily basis. We also have student response systems that can be used for tests, polls, and as another way for students to participate in class discussions. These tools have opened up so many opportunities for my students. We have also started a classroom blog and share the latest classroom updates and activities with our families. The students have had a chance to participate by sharing photographs and quotes about certain activities that we have done. Our goal is to start writing a weekly post about our week together so that they can see how the process develops and to experience writing through a different medium. After being exposed to using Google Docs for class, I have developed a quick interest in looking into how I can use this within my own teaching.
Till next time...
