EDLD 5352 Week One Assignment

In week one's assignment we were to take three survey's of our own technology in the classroom and how comfortable we are in applying it with our students. I found these surverys to be most helpful with my self evaluation process of technology. Previous to the these surveys I though myself to be a technology native rather than technology imigrant but now I believe I am a technology native but I need to continue to strive for more technology in the classroom. I use a smart board in my room daily. Students are welcome and encouraged to go to the board and use it to work out real life application math problems, TAKS related problems and drill and kill basic mathematics problems. I could be better about letting my students create projects involving the web as well as powerpoints or other technology related projects. A weakness in my classroom is facilitating the use of technological projects and or printable products in my classroom. It seems with our focus on TAKS I forget that statistics show our students do so much better with applicable uses of technology in the classroom. A strength of mine is my attitude toward technology. I think that it can be entirely beneficial to a staff and students in applied in the classroom on a daily basis. Sure it is uncomfortable at times and sometimes is unreliable but that is no excuse for trying new technology in the classroom. Students love technology and like it when teachers try new applications of the old way of doing things. Most of the time I have found that students often want to help the teacher learn how to use a new technology product in the classroom. I agree with the assessments and found the the questions were geared toward professional development for myself. I would like to try the web lessons and webcast or record a lesson of my own so that others can play it over if they need more practice or would like help at home from the day. In my first assessment I found that I looked like I had more experience in technology than I thought. Although I realized that I can try other forms of technology that I haven't before. For example the web classess and or letting students create more products in the classroom. In the second survey I quickly found that at our campus the reading and writing teachers do not have the use of smart boards in the classroom. First priority on our campus is for science and mathematics teachers. We lost our AYP for a year because of our science scores. That is why science has first pick and then mathematics teachers. I understand why but I know that if language arts teachers had the technology it would make a difference on our campus.