October 27th, 2008

I believe what really stands in the way of me being able to intergrate technology into the classroom is lack of experience and confidence. While I use technology every day, I am not as familiar with using it as a teacher. There is so much that can go wrong in a lesson and so much that can go wrong with technology in general, that it can be very experimental to combine the two. Due to a lack of confidence, it may seem easier to avoid technology all together, although this is not the most beneficial to the students.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that the only way to gain experience is to try. Yes, things will go wrong. It is simply important to realize this and to have strong backup plans. Eventually, I will be able to gain the confidence to smoothly intergrate technology into the classroom, with and without mistakes! You have to realize that technology can greatly benefit everyone if you give it a try.

October 20th, 2008

1. Cool Cat Teacher Blog - http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

The Connected Classroom - http://khokanson.blogspot.com/

2. My views on technology have been broadened. It is 

becoming apparent that there are so many ways that 

technology can be used in the classroom. I never really 

thought about the difference between incorporating 

technology in the classroom and really utilizing it. They 

can be very different! The whole point of technology is 

to get something across in the lesson that could not

happen without the technological tools. As seen on the 

cool cat blog, technology can be used to get all kinds of 

messages across whether they are serious, offering 

helpful hints, or just for fun. It can all be beneficial. The 

connected classroom blog helps to show technology 

from different angles. Even though the technology is for 

students, it involves so many more people. The teachers 

have to be willing and knowledgeable, and there has to 

be someone to show the teachers how to use the 

technology in the first place!

3. I was really interested to see the different types of 

PowerPoints and how they can be used. I think we have 

all been in classes where the PowerPoints are even 

more boring than the lecture itself! I'll be excited to try 

and put my own twist on the traditional PowerPoint so 

that it can actually benefit my students. While they 

should only be used in moderation, power points 

should make a difference when you do use them.