Thoughts About Technology...

I have been interested in technology since I was an upper elementary student.  I remember asking for a TRS-80 for Christmas the first year they were introduced.  I did not get one but that did not quench the desire to learn how to use technology.  I took a computer course during my senior year of high school using Apple IIe computers.  This was the first computer lab in our school district.  Technology today is much different from those days!

Today, I typically carry, at minimum, my Android phablet (phone/tablet), a Kindle Fire HDX, and an iPad.  I use each for some overlapping purposes, yet they each have specific purposes.  My favorite OS is Android, followed by Windows.  With Android and Windows devices, students can typically participate in class activities with minimal issues.  We play Kahoot! games to review content and interact with each other using Google Drive and Edmodo.  Students easily took notes from class and created group projects simultaneously on these devices.  

I hesitate to admit it, but my least favorite is the iOS.  My students and I find iPads difficult to use for collaborative projects and for applications requiring Adobe Flash.  Science simulations and online LABs often require Adobe Flash.  We find the iPad Edmodo app is limited in the ways we could use them.  Additionally, for the protection of our school devices, we must have the media specialist load any new apps onto devices.  I must admit that my iPad saved the day at church last Sunday!  I had a PowerPoint on my laptop for our children to present a VBS song.  Windows Media Player would not load the media in the PowerPoint nor from the target file.  It required a restart.  I plugged the iPad into our sound system and was able to play the song right away.  There was no video, but no one needed it anyway.

As for technology and my students...
With limited access to technology at the beginning of the school year, things were difficult.  I tried many different approaches to engage students.  Technology is not the answer to everything, but it enhances engagement and promotes learning for my students.  One of my favorite memories from this past school year is the time one of my students with an IEP figured out how to use Prezi.  She was open to exploring something new, and the other students started asking how they could get to what she was using!  I asked her to show them, rather than showing them myself.  It boosted her self-esteem tremendously to be able to teach her peers.  Later in the school year, her small group worked, with her leadership, to create a "company" website using Weebly for a PBL project.  Engagement leading to learning - that's where we make strides with our students using technology.

I look forward to meeting everyone face-to-face next week!