How Will I Use Technology In my Classroom???

I'm entirely re-vamping my initial philosophy about how I will use technology in the classroom. I have an entirely new perspective about what it means to use technology in the classroom. After what I have learned during this course (IT 443) and after what I have digested through personal reflection I am realizing I was missing a key component in my initial philosophy back in July. My understanding and experience of/with technology has grown and evolved. Initially when I set foot in my IT classes I was peering through the lens of how can "I, as an educator" use technology to facilitate my student's learning? However, I had never thought about, how can "we" as a class integrate technology to explore and deepen our learning and understanding of the world? The component my initial philosphy was missing was the key component of being a classroom team >> growing and working together as learners and as educators, having that relationship of being "learning colleagues."

I remember on the first day of class we did an exercise where we looked at various technologies and decided which of the devices from: pencils to mac computers were instructional technologies. I remember the instructional bit confusing me, I brought the opposing view that pencils were on the student end vs. the instructor end of technology, but in saying that I was discrediting the learning that happens within the learner independently through feeling and exploration that without that hands on act of writing notes, or sketching pictures may have never came to be. In this instructional technology course as time continued I was able to better relate to the "student" perspective. I think the reason I could better relate to the student was because in this second IT course we were branching out of Microsoft office and many, scratch that, pretty much all of the technologies were new to me. Never have I blogged, made an imovie, heard let alone created a podcast; so now I was in the shoes of the learner. Since the projects were open ended, for example; the podcast had a rubric in which we had to follow, however, we could read any children's story, choose any background music, etc . . . and since the projects were so open ended in that sense we really got to explore what we wanted to explore. Since there was that personable connection to the project the learning outcome was significantly different than had we listened to a podcast to learn about a podcast or teaching. What I am trying to say is that my initial lens represented me using technology to teach, not engaging students in technology to learn.

The project which most surfaced this realization for me was the "self-chosen" project where each student explored a new dimension of technology and had to think of ways to incorporate this technology in the classroom where we would then create a kiosk to display our self-chosen/self-explored technolgy which could then be explored by peers to contagiously fill our data-base of usable technolgies which will be accessible to us as educators. For my project I chose animoto. I explored animoto and sure I was impressed, but it was during the creation of my kiosk that really made it hit home for me. While I was thinking of ways to use this technology in the classroom I created some mock scenarios in which I could see animoto being useful. Then as part of the rubric we had to display something with this technology. Since I plan on being a lifeskills teacher I began by creating a virtual resume for "myself", a student with autism, and I was thrilled with the product that came out. It was a light bulb at that point; my students could create these fabulous resumes, independently, that would set them apart from all of the other resumes and could give them the upper hand when being selected for a job. I then wanted to assume the role of an early child hood educator and I thought a parent newsletter may be beneficial with this technology because oftentimes early childhood education has that parental/familial foundation, again within the same technology I was discovering new pathways in which technology can be used within the classroom, and on yet another level I wanted to think of something, again from an educator perspective, that I would be uncomfortable with. I wanted to see how technology could be used to spark student interest and help spark those courageous conversations without coming off as accusing to my students. In doing so I again used animoto, however, this time as a lecture tool for teen violence and even though these were all mock situations I instantly felt relief into my "lecture;" and when I showed my boy friend my videos he thought this one was especially cool; when I asked him if he felt uncomfortable prior to the lecture he said that he actually was excited to learn more.

This project allowed me to play different roles and through each perspective I was able to see different benefits and assets to bringing technology in the classroom: as an educator to parents, as a parent, as a student, as a teen, as an adult during transition periods, as a lecturer . . . the list goes on and within each role I was able to take on technology either to display what I do know or to further explore what I may not know. My final philosophy is not from solely the perspective of an educator, my final philosophy surfaces more from the collaborative lens of technology being an active, live, resource to be accessed as an entire class.

Over these 6 weeks I was turned on to technologies which I have never even heard of, and over the next 2 years, by the time I become a teacher I am excited to discover new technologies and think of purposeful ways to include them into the classroom.

Speaking of inclusion, I think technology is an excellent resource not only for
equitible education for my students who will need some type of specialized instruction, but also for inclusive education! Aside from only using technolgy for an alternative medium of information such as assisted technologies, projects using tools such as animoto which uses visual and audio presentation would be an excellent group/partner project which builds peer relationships and facilitates inclusion.

The above is a general construct of my ever-revising philosophy of technology, now, here is how I can relate my philosophy to the standards which must be included within my future classroom:


1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
---> As an educator I will make sure to have creative options for student work. Students will be able to use various technologies to communicate and display their ideas which will expand their creative ability while supporting the lesson. I will make sure to be open-minded as an educator and do my own reseach to best model the possibilities and best model the resources we have available in response to and apart from student inquiry.

b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
---> In the lifeskills domain of my future curriculum, I will provide the most up to date resources which will help my students live their own vision of what they can achieve as active adults and dispite any special needs my students may have, they will be provided with tools for exploring those needs and will be able to surpass any limitations through creative thought and problem solving which may involve using available technologies.


2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
---> As an educator I will use digital-age technology to provide meaningful learning experiences that provoke students to learn more.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
---> I will encourage students to use various technologies that will activate their own vision and will create a meaningful learning experience which will promote further student exploration and research based upon their own curiosities and learning goals.

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
---> I will use technology in a way that makes learning accessible to all.


4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
---> Equitable and inclusive instruction will be a large focus for my own personal teaching goals. Using technology I will scaffold for that learning equitability and classroom inclusion.


5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

b. exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.
---> Again, finding creative ways to use technology collaboratively with community members especially as active adults to promote those healthy adult lifestyles during and after transitions which build community inclusion.

As a lifeskills teacher, I will use technology in and out of the classroom with a prime focus on community/classroom inclusion, I will ensure that there are equitable learning opportunities provided to my students using technology, and I will infuse technology within everyday curriculum providing choice and exploration to make learning most meaningful to my students.