Friday, August 29, 2014
Digital Badge #A Chapter 1
Chapter 1 was a real
eye opener for me. I knew before reading the chapter that technology has become
a part of everyday life for children all over the globe but I had no idea the
percentages are so high. It comes to me as no surprise however that the use of
technology varies dramatically based on family income and race. As a future
teacher this worries me and strikes me as an important issue because as teachers
start to incorporate technology more in their lessons I can see a problem
appearing for those who do not have access to these tools. Those who come from
low income families haven’t had as much practice with these tools and some
haven’t had any practice at all so they will be falling behind in their class
while those who come from wealthier families will excel at it. I completely
agree with using technology as a new way to teach students because I find it
effective and efficient but I do see a problem rising for those students who
will need extra help just to learn how to use these tools before they can even
begin to learn the concepts teachers are trying to get them to understand.
It’s incredible to me
how technology is used in so many different ways for so many different
purposes. In this chapter it lists gaming, music download, social networking,
online research, checking assignments, and so many other ways that technology
is used both for personal and educational use. In school and out of school
technology is used in completely different ways. It can be used as an
entertainment tool for the students as well as a learning tool in their
classrooms. Although too much technology use has been criticized and frowned
upon for years it is important that students, teachers, and parents understand just
how useful such a tool can be. Taking something that the students are already
interested in and making it educational will lead to more knowledge than was
ever achieved before. “Conveying 21st century skills to students
will prepare everyone for productive lives and fulfilling careers.” (Maloy, 2013) . As a teacher our
ultimate goal is to get our students to live productive lives and fulfilling
careers and using technology in our classroom will help us achieve this goal. I
believe that with new devices emerging in the near future technology will only
become more significant in the lives of children from future generations so
it’s time for teachers to utilize this tool to understand their students and
teach them successfully.
Technological pedagogical
content knowledge is bringing together 3 different forms of knowledge to
produce exciting learning experiences for students. I can relate to this
because as a future teacher I would like to use it to teach my students and I understand
just how vital it is to use all these different forms of knowledge so I can
meet my student’s needs. Since I will have a variety of students and they are
all unique and learn at different paces and ways it is important that I find a
way to teach every type of learner. By using TPACK I will be able to make sure I
meet all of their needs and ensure that they are successful at learning.
In conclusion this
entire chapter was very helpful to my understanding of how technology can be
used as a teaching tool.
Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf,
B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston,
MA: Pearson Education Inc.
