Prompt #7

According to the Gretzky principle, we should be be striving toward new technology and ideas and not where it has been in the past. I believe technology should strive to present information, but actively involve students. Many educators use powerpoints or word documents, but I believe this can by very boring and actually deter from learning. It can become very crowded, and actually defeats the purpose you are trying to get across. Technology and devices such as ipads, tablets, kindles, computers, etc. can be utilized in the classroom to help enrich the learning process for students.

Prompt #6

When I was in elementary school, the biggest trend was a huge boxy overhead projector. All of my teachers would use the dry erase transparencies. Then as I got older the next big trend was an ELMO, which was a glorified overhead projector, which allowed the teacher to put actual papers and objects underneath it, and project it for our class. In junior high, every classroom started to get smart boards, which had so many uses, from games, to notes, or just pulling up documents from the computer. I recall many teachers that were older that struggled to keep up, or went to continuing education classes. In high school, almost every classroom had smart boards, and the new thing was electronic drop boxes. This continued at Bradley, where almost all professors use electronic resources, and most assignments and resources are posted online. Technology has been a huge part of my education while growing up and it is continually changing for the better.

Prompt #5

It is important for teachers to promote, support, and model creativity and innovative thinking in the classroom when it comes to technology. Students need to learn real life experiences and issues while using technology. I think that students now a days are more and more technology driven and I will use that in my favor. iPads, kindles, and tablets are great ways for students to research and explore their creativity. Technology is a huge part of the real world and if students are taught how to incorporate this early, they will succeed later in life. Inquiry based learning is something I will also use. If I let students collaborate to try and solve problems or let them design and create learning experiences that involve digital tools and resources, I believe it will help them learn tremendously. Also, for me to be able to teach the use of technology, I have to be able to exhibit knowledge about it. Technology will continue to change and I need to be able to keep up with the changes in order to teach it to my students. 

Prompt #4

I can apply the current use of technology that plays a role in the day-to-day lives of students in my classroom to help achieve the six educational standards identified by ISTE. Various types of technology  such as iPads, smartboards, computers, tablets, kindles, etc. can be used in the classroom to help students learn. It will be easier for students to research and find answers to problems with computers and other social media devices. I also think it is important for students to learn with this technology because it causes them to explore, be creative, and try new things. They are able to communicate and collaborate with others through the use of technology. Students will be more interested and engaged when using technology because it is what they are more well adapted to.

Prompt #3

Students who are digital natives and have spent most of their lives growing up online could be a little tricky to approach. I would incorporate technology in the classroom, but I would also use various other teaching methods as well. It is important to use technology because it is what they are used and students might be more interested in what they are learning or more engaged when using technology because they are more comfortable with it. You also need to expand their horizons and teach them various other ways to learn new things. Technology alone should not be the only way students learn new materials.

Prompt #2

After reading through Bloom's taxonomy to the digital world, I believe that it is a great fit for teaching and learning in the 21st century. I believe that is extremely important to include all of the key terms when teaching the digital approach. It is essential for students to follow the steps in this taxonomy, but I believe it doesn't always have to happen in that exact order. You have to leave room for students to get creative! This is a great process for students to explore the digital world and become critical thinkers while solving problems and learning.

Prompt #1

I don't think that I realized how much the American society really did use technology until after watching the video "Did You Know." The impact of technology has grown immensely over time. People of all ages are using technology in many different ways. I think that a lot of children and adolescents are becoming addicted to different devices and they depend on them way too much. I believe that in classrooms students are starting to depend on technology as well. Instead of using other resources, students tend to just grab their phone or computer and "just google it" to try and solve the problem. I do believe that students can learn from technology. I think that technology for American society and popular culture is informative but it is also used more for connection purposes. Facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. are used to share things between friends, whereas in the classroom, technology is used specifically as a learning tool and resource. Technology will continue to grow over time and I believe that it is a useful tool to help enrich the lives of children.