Rubi+C

Rubi C

Technology for Learners  Technology for Learners was one of the two technology courses I took during my last semester as an undergraduate. I have been introduced to various kinds of technology tools and have been shown the many different ways they can be incorporated into the classroom and in my daily life. I have also learned the importance of teaching children to use these tools appropriately. The feeling of a rush of a new way of teaching in the classroom was what I was feeling towards the beginning of this semester. During my content courses-development of reading, mathematics, science, social studies, few technology tools were used and so I did not see power and importance that technology could have within the classroom. It's a relief to know that there are other modern ways to reach the students of the 21st century. It's not longer chalkboards and whiteboards. The world is evolving into more modern, faster ways to communicate and reach others and so are our classrooms. When I student taught, the technology in the school was limited-few SMART Boards in each grade level or teachers who did not know how to incorporate it into their lessons. As far as the use of computers, students were placed on the computer for a short period of time to complete a reading program. Sometimes I would catch students minimizing their screens and play games online instead which brought up the idea of not trusting students.  Teaching students to be digital citizens and how to create creative ways to send out this message is critical because not only will we be teaching to use technology appropriately but also how to be citizens in person, to one another. What better way to send out this message than to have students use the tools first hand to teach their classmates. Many have designed and presented creative ways they have taught their students what it is to be a good digital citizen and the results were great! These are prime examples that should show us to not give up on the idea of our students + technology. Many of the tools we were introduced to are simple to use and many were free-two components that are important to teachers because we want tools that we can easily use without confusion and frustration and the less expensive the tool, the better! As a class, we've seen the benefits of incorporating various tools into our lesson plans and how much fun it can be the students and teachers. It is a matter of taking risks and not being afraid to use these tools in the classroom.  As a student, I have grown throughout this semester by being pushed out of my comfort zone of what I've been taught the past few years about instruction in various content areas. I have enjoyed using Glogster, Voki, Voicethread, Wikispaces, creating a screencast, using Prezi, creating a blog and so many other tools! It has been fun to try new things and get the experience of how I may one day use these tools with my students. If I had fun using these tools, I know my students will too!  This is an experience that will stay with me throughout my first year teaching and the rest of my teaching career because this is great preparation needed for teachers to reach out to the learners of this century. Technology is having a huge influence on the new way of learning for our students. We all believe that all students can learn, therefore it is important to make learning happen for all our students, even through the use of assistive technology. Attending NEAT was another experience that will stay with me because it is an awesome place to be affiliated with and to know about, especially for students who have disabilities. It was interesting to experience learning the way a student with LD may and to play around with the different computer tools to make learning accessible to students.  In essence, this class has been a breakthrough for me as far as my teaching career and knowing the potential I have to be able to use these tools and assist in the new learning of my future students. 