Technology Integration

Since I am a graduate student working towards a goal of teaching elementary education, I am learning but not currently teaching. In the last two months I have learned what technology integration is, how it is used in the classroom, and the importance of its use.

At the beginning of my Technology Integration class good points were made about the world that we live in. We are advancing at a rapid pace in technology and the effects are quickly spreaking down to young children. Children learn at an early age how to use and navigate the computer, hand held games, MP3 players and cell phones with text and internet access. These technologies are consuming the everyday lives of kids. This is what they know, how they communicate and how they fit in with their peers. So good points were again expressed, why not integrate technology more in the classroom to meet the needs of the children and their interests.

It is time to step away from the tradition classroom setting of writing on the chalkboard and lecturing about what is in the book. As an adult I know how boring it could get to sit for a length of time listening to the teacher and trying to retain their point. Not all children learn in the same manner or at the same pace. Everyone has their own learning styles. I agree with the push to integrate the technology in the curriculum that is being taught. This is the 21st century so why not have 21st century ways of teaching?

I have learned many different ideas of integrating technology in the last 2 months. These ideas included Webquests, homeade videos, voicethread, blogging, interactive whiteboard, hand held technology, and more. Using these tools allow the students to open their minds and create while they learn. They are able to teach their peers what research they had done through the use of technology. In turn their peers are able to learn in a non traditional way from what others are presenting to them. This can really help students to work with each other in a group setting, learn and use technology and research through the internet all while the underlying point is to give them the tools to learn.

The early elementary grades are where my teaching interests are. At this young age not all kids may have had much experience on the computer. So with this in mind, basic computer use with simple tasks or leaning websites is one way to integrate technology. At this young age kids enjoy the interactive learning games on the computer and time on the classroom computer can really benefit their development. Since children so young have short attention spans an interactive white board with visuals would be helpful in showing examples and help the children understand what you are teaching.

In conclusion my learning experience in technology integration has been very positive and an eye opener. I will continue to learn, for there is much more out there and much more to come. I plan on keeping touch with PLN's for my continued learning and hope when my time comes to integrate technology I will be well prepared.

My Thoughts About PLN's

Currently, I use PLN's such as Facebook for socializing, not professional development other than class. PLN's are new to me on a professional learning aspect. I think they are a great resource for finding current news, issues, techniques and resources that other users have shared. Using PLN's through my graduate studies will help me understand what is going on in the education field, find resourses for my own papers and projects and prepare me better for when I am in the field as a teacher.
I am still learning the PLN's and where to find them, and which ones may be better than others. Organizing my PLN's is also going to be important once I have many that are established for access. Researching and trying out the PLN's is my involvement so far. As I move forward I know they will be a useful tool and appreciate that we have such a tool to share with others.
On one last thought about PLN's, I do think there should be a separation between social networks and professional networks. If someone setup a network for sharing professional ideas and resources then the posting should be professionallly relevant while sharing.