After reading Chapter 1, I started to question my own teaching methods and experiences of technology in and outside of the classroom. I was not fortunate to have an "electronic childhood." My household did not have a desktop computer until I graduated undergraduate studies in 2005. I completed my middle school and high school papers on a typewriter. In college, I used the school library or computer laboratory to research, print, or save my work on a floppy disk. As a student-teacher in 2005, I taught my lessons by writing on the blackboard. There was no technology in the classroom. After entering the legal profession from 2005 through 2013, my computer skills were basic, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, work-related databases, email, or searching the web. From September of 2013 through December of 2013, I covered a maternity leave position for an all boys private high school. I taught tenth and twelfth grade English. I remember walking into the classroom two days before classes started and only seeing a Smart Board. This was my first time officially teaching on my own in the classroom and I had no idea how to use the Smart Board. I felt like a "digital immigrant." I had to create engaging lessons and learn an entire new piece of technology. Luckily, I had students who were part of "Generation M" who taught me technology skills in the classroom. I must admit that I felt a sense of "digital disconnect" between myself and the students. My lessons that utilized technology created an "active learning environment." Students were more focused and interactive. I know I don't have years of teaching experience, but my teaching philosophy includes both teacher-centered and student centered teaching. A teacher is necessary to provide certain skills or information and at other times students can learn from one another. The "Rogers Innovation Curve" is intriguing because an individual cannot solely be judged on technology if he or she gradually changes. When I first stepped into my official classroom, I was a "cautious" and "skeptical observer." As time progressed, I became an "innovator" or "early adopter." The Smart board was a necessary tool to teach my students. Today, I continue to be cautious and skeptical to new technology because I am not technologically savvy. I do hope after completing this course that I am a little more advanced in the field of technology.
Questions:
1. The National Endowment for the Arts concludes that reading habits and reading skills are decreasing among U.S. teenagers and young adults due to electronic media. How can we as teachers increase students abilities to read books on his or her own rather than implementing assigned readings from class?
2. How do teachers who are not technologically savvy learn new technology to utilize in the classroom environment?
3. What are some ways to manage "Instructional Practices" in a large classroom (30-35 students) setting?
