CEP 812, as well as my other CEP courses, have allowed me to instill passion and curiosity in my students through technology. The courses have not only shown me how and why to use these technologies, but required me to try all the tech I learned about. The hands-on experience made me more aware of the process and how I could use it in my classroom.
I believe passion and curiosity feed off each other. If you are passionate about something, you become curious about it. Both passion and curiosity are key components in education- a student has to be interested to retain knowledge. I have always tried to incorporate both into my teaching and technology has been a great resource. I foster passion and curiosity by creating an environment where it's okay not to know answers and to make mistakes. I also model how to ask questions and encourage questioning. Technology fosters passion by creating a place for students to share their work and connect with people who share their passion. It sparks curiosity by sharing endless information and providing a place to research their curiosities. Although I am done with the MATC program, I know teaching and technology will constantly be evolving.... so my education has just begun!
Creating "Something" with "Something"- I used Popplet to represent how I bring Passion and Curiosity to my work as an
educator and show how I use technologies to instill passion and
curiosity in my students.
CEP 812 Technology in the classroom- Every teacher is going to have their own opinion on the subject. Whatever your feelings are on tech in the classroom, you can't argue the fact that times are changing. We can either change with the times, or get left behind. Technology is a great resource if used correctly. So how can we make sure all teachers are using tech to its full potential? Well to start, we can look at we teachers are currently doing and examine our community technology integration. We can ask ourselves and fellow community members the following questions: 1) How would I describe our culture of technology integration? 2) How do we know what we know about technology integration? How do
we believe knowledge about technology integration is created? 3) As a group, how do we change?
I created a simple technology survey and asked my colleagues and CEP classmates to complete it. I asked baseline questions like, "How long have you been teaching?" and "What do you currently teach?" to learn about my participants. I wondered if new teachers were more likely to add technology in their classroom. I also wondered if grade level had anything to do with technology integration. To my surprise, the 1-2 and 3-5 year teachers had similar responses to the 10 + year teachers. Unfortunately, I only had teachers who taught grades 1-3 respond, so I was unable to factor in grade level.
Once I learned about my participants, I wanted to know about their districts. I wondered if district opinion of tech influenced teacher opinion. I also wondered if teachers want more tech, but do not have the district resources. I posed the question, "Does your district support/supply you with technology?" Everyone said their district supported tech, but there was a split between "tech updated regularly" and "we do not have a lot of tech." I also posed the question, "How do most of your colleagues feel about technology?" All participants said some colleagues were scared or apprehensive about adding tech to the curriculum.
Now down to business- "How often do you use tech in your classroom?" "What types of technology do you use in your classroom?" "Do you use the internet to find materials for your classroom?" Everyone said they use tech daily and use the internet to find materials. Everyone also said they use computers, document cameras, and projectors in their classrooms. Only one other type of tech was used- ipods.
The infograph shows the last question I posed on my survey:
An "Information Diet" refers to our consumption of information. It includes how we locate information, evaluate it as trustworthy, and how we use it. I am really excited about this week's lesson and assignment because it is relevant in today's society. What would life be like without the internet? Some of us can't remember a time there was no internet and some have never lived in a time with no internet. Whether you view it as a good or bad thing, it's there and up to use it appropriately and smartly. As with any wicked problem, there are multiple sides and few solutions. Gee warned us about the dangers of the internet and how it can lead to further polarization between viewpoints. He believes it can be a great tool if paired with a collaborative group to create a "Mind." It seems like Eli Pariser and Henry Jenkins have similar viewpoints. Pariser shared how information can be one-sided, but if people are aware, they can be exposed to a variety of viewpoints which leads to a more well-rounded info diet. Jenkins believes people on the internet can come together to solve problems and make a positive impact on society. Some people, like Nicholas Carr, focus more on the problems that can come along with technology and the internet.
When I first started exploring this week's lesson, I thought,"I got this! I have a good sense of how to evaluate information and I take in diverse information." However, upon further examination of my "info diet," I realized I my information processing skills were not as great as I thought. When looking at the sites I frequently visit on my personal time, most were social networking, games, news, entertainment, etc. I found I did not look at at anything that made me mad, sad, uncomfortable, or sites that had opinions I disagree with. If I didn't like it, I would close out as fast as I could. There was a hole in my info diet. I preach all the time about how some parents try to make their kid's life too easy. They never want them to get hurt, be upset, or have to work for things. Really, kids need to experience all that stuff to learn how to cope with negative feelings. My info diet needed to reflect what I preached. So I started looking a twitter pages I would not normally look at. I searched "Rick Synder" and visited his page. Personally, I am not the biggest fan or supporter, but I felt it necessary to be connected with our local government. I need to know all the happens at the capital, good or bad, so I can be aware and make informed decisions. This also models what I teach my students in social studies about democracy and government. I followed "Politico" for similar reasons.
I also started to follow Nicholas Carr. Although I do agree with some of his research and principles, I do not believe the internet is making us stupid. As Gee pointed out, people have been stupid for a long time and it has more to do with our thoughts and actions as individuals. The internet can make us very smart if used properly. I followed him because I would like more information on his work and keep some of his principles in mind when teaching my students about technology.
