Blog # 6

Blog #6
            2) Revisit your Philosophy of Technology in Education. Remember at the beginning of the       quarter when you blogged about your position on technology in elementary education?        Revisit your position and rewrite your stance, this time supporting your ideas with evidence        from this class and from at least one professional article.

In my first Blog Post about my philosophy of technology in education I expressed how my views on technology have changed pretty dramatically in the last year from not seeing technology as s tool or a benefit to the classroom, to then really seeing how it can enhance a learning environment if used if used in the right way. I said in my earlier post, “Over the last year I have begun to see all the wonderful benefits technology has in the classroom.” After having this class this quarter I have been able to expand and see so many more of these wonderful benefits. One new tool I have discovered is live binder. After learning about them in class and reading the article about them and how to use them by Steven W. Anderson who “is an educator, blogger, speaker, consultant, father and husband. He is current a District Instruction Technologist with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in Winston-Salem, NC.” (https://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/2011/04/12/free-tools-challenge-15-organize-and-share-with-livebinders/) I have gained a whole new device I can add to my PLN. Live Binder is a great tool to help organize your resources in a way that is easy to find and to share with others. Instead of having a big pile of books and papers on your desk, you can have a virtual pile of binders that will be organized exactly how you would like. While I was in my practicum I saw the teacher make paper books for the students which was a great fun way to get the children excited about writing their stories but after learning about the Mac Book creator App I can imagine the kids getting so much more excited and not to mention it would be easier and save more time, money, and trees than making paper books! I also really enjoyed learning about how Skype can be used in the classroom. After watching the video the engagement level of the students was incredible. They were able to connect with other students across the world as well as learn about other cultures. This could be helpful with learning new languages as well. I also thought the virtual field trips was a great idea. In my science practicum this quarter we used Google earth to take a virtual field trip from the top of Mount Baker down the river to the Bay to see what happens to a large rock as is moves down the river. Seeing the students obviously more engaged during our virtual field trip rather than filling out work sheets we had made I could see direct tied to IT 442 and how much technology can truly enhance learning.