Blog Post #1

I have really tried over the past year (my second year of teaching in a traditional classroom) to improve my use of technology in the classroom. One of my strengths is actually using the new technology available to me as an educator and taking the steps to learn about it. That may sound simple, but a lot of teachers don't do that. I have a Promethean smart board in my room that enables me to create interactive lessons, games, activities, show videos, project images, etc., but there is still a lot more I could learn about different ways to use it. The board is the primary way I create an authentic, technology enriched learning environment, as the "ISTE Standards" describe (n.d.). I guess I would categorize my Promethean board as both a strength and weakness. It is a strength in the ways mentioned above, but my weakness is that I struggle to find ways for the students to use it on their own and be more self sufficient at using it. Most of the time, when I use it, it's for a whole group lesson or activity, and I would like to transition to using it more for small groups and centers or learning stations as well.

Another strength I have is my use of Plickers for whole group participation with technology. I learned about Plickers by attending the Fort Worth ISD technology conference this past year (which I attended as part of my desire to learn more about technology and increase my use of it) and I have so far used them extensively in math. I like Plickers because it enables everyone to be involved without fear of others knowing if they got a wrong answer or the danger of students seeing each other's answer before they have worked out the problem themselves. The Plickers help to clarify students' thinking and understanding in a matter of seconds, or minutes with a more lengthy problem. They also create a form of real world application with their use of QR codes, scanning, real time, etc. So far, I haven't tried them in any other subject, but as I am moving to a tested grade level (self contained) next year, I'm sure I will implement them in reading and science as well.

This year in my classroom, I had one working classroom computer (other than my laptop), which made it very difficult to get students on the computer other than during our scheduled computer lab time. This was definitely a weakness. Even now as I type this, I'm thinking about ways I could have more efficiently used our computer lab time, even though the district requires we spend much of our time on certain programs.

I would like to learn how to better manage technology projects (or projects that could involve the use of technology) for students. I would like to learn how to enhance my own presentations to make my lessons more meaningful and captivating. I would also like to learn how to make better, more efficient use of the technology I do have.