18 April: My Beliefs

My beliefs of technology in the classroom have changed over the course of the semester. I use to think using technology in the classroom meant that I would use PowerPoints and have my students get on the internet when we did a research assignment. I have learned that technology is so much more than that. I have found that there are as many ways to use technology as there is imagination to think it up. I believe that you can use technology for assignments, instruction, homework, assessment and much more in the classroom. I think that as an educator I need to not be afraid of using technology in my classroom and continually learn new skills with technology.

One thing I learned this semester that I will use in my classroom is to have a class blog or website. I have learned how to use Google sites this semester and I think it is great. There is just so much on there that I can do. I had previously seen a teacher do the same type of thing with blogger which at the beginning of the semester I thought I would do because I felt more comfortable with blogger, but I will defiantly make a Google site for my class. I feel that there is so much I can do on there that will benefit my students. I can put up a calendar, I can post daily post about what we did in the classroom that day, I can put up assignments for students to print off, and I can actually put up links to extra information that will help them. Another thing that I have decided over the course of the semester is that I want to be inventive of how I use my technology. I thought the Picasa assignment was awesome and I would defiantly do that in my classroom. I found that if I teach Utah History I can have the students do a local history picture scavenger hunt and take pictures of local historical sites. I also liked the digital stories. I can either make them and show them to get my students excited about what we are going to or are learning or I will have my students make them and present them to the class.

I believe that technology is so much more than PowerPoints and Google searches. I believe that we as teachers have the responsibility to teach our students how to use technology. Our students will have to have the technological skills to make it in the professional world and it is our job to make sure they have them. I know now that I have to teach these skills just as much as I have to teach my history content or note taking. Technology is important and I have come to understand that throughout this semester.