Teaching Changes with Technology

By researching and learning about different forms of technology, it has become apparent to me that I must conquer my fears and begin to make changes in my teaching practices.  There are many small changes that can be made to make a lesson plan more engaging to students.  Differentiating instruction is a big problem within most classrooms and I feel that using technology can help.  I have also learned that there are many different tools available to make my record keeping and classroom management more manageable.  By using technology  I hope to become a better communicator with parents and fellow colleagues. 

Encouraging the use of technology

I hope to set an example and encourage my colleagues to try new ideas in the area of technology.  I feel like if I can learn to use some of these new things- most of them can and should at least give it a try.  By participating in all of the professional development opportunities and then making the attempt to incorporate changes into my lesson plans, I will be able to share what works and what doesn't for my grade level team.  I have found a tremendous amount of good resources for sharing with my peers to help further our curriculum and by showing them that we can do it together I think it will not be such a big undertaking.

Concerns About Using the Internet

As both an educator and a parent, I have several concerns about the use of the internet for certain things in education.  While there are many positive aspects of this technology, I sometimes fear that we are losing an element of  face to face interaction when too much technology is used.     I also worry that the issue of internet safety is not always as carefully monitored as it should be.  
As a teacher, I have concerns that when the technology I am counting on to use does not work properly time on task is lost. This creates a stressful situation with a classroom of young learners.         I also worry that I may not be as adequately prepared to meet the needs of my students if I haven't received the proper training for using the technology.  Overall, however, I feel that I can alleviate these concerns by being proactive in my lesson planning by always having a backup plan.  If I just stick to what is age-appropriate and find child-friendly websites when using the internet I will not be endangering my students in any way.  I can also do my best to continue to learn skills that will help me to become more proficient and confident in this technological world of education. 

Trying different software

I use the following software applications regularly in my teaching practice:

Harmony- Used for recording attendance, lunch count, student personal information, grades, lesson    planning,  and communication with the administration for discipline

ActiveInspire- Used for many different  types of interactive activities with the students

Microsoft Word-  Used to create worksheets, parent newsletters, and other word processing needs pertaining to the classroom

I would like to improve my skills in all of these areas.  I know that I am  currently just scratching the surface of what is available that I can use to increase my professional efficiacy.  I especially would like to become more proficient in the use of the ActiveInspire software.  It is a very exciting teaching tool for my students and I want to become more comfortable with using it.  This will take some time to play with it and find out what is available and then how to incorporate it into my lesson planning.
I plan to continue to ask for help from someone who has more experience than me and to try to add as many new skills to better myself in these areas.  I want to get better at what I already know before I try to take on too many other new things and then don't do any of them very well.