When I explored the technology that was available to me at Lincoln High School I was excited about the opportunities in my classroom but generally disappointed by what was available at the school. In my own classroom, there is a smart board, LCD projector, elmo, white board, and computer at my disposal. I consider myself lucky to have all of these things because many teachers do not have access to technology of this nature. However, when I explored what the school has to offer I was a little disappointed. It is nearly impossible to access lap tops for my students during class and hard to rent out the media center. Admittedly I don't need access to these pieces of technology to help me be more affective. While I do think they are useful, most of my student have access to a smart phone and can look up information with their mobile device if need be.
In addition, I am also aware of the fact that not all school districts have access to the resources that Lincoln does. We are fortunate to have a SMART board and projector. There are many classrooms that don't even have white boards! I don't think that technology is necessary to be an affective teacher but I do think that is a useful tool to connect with students. I think Rory does an excellent job with this based on the survey that he showed us in class. Using google docs and chrome books he is able to learn a lot of information about his students that he wouldn't otherwise know. This is something that I hope to do in the future and something that I don't think my mentor teacher does a good job of. While he does make it a point to get to know his students, based on my observations, I don't think he understands their interests or what drives their success. Technology is a good way to bridge that gap and we have technology that is adequate for doing so.
Would love to hear what other people think about this. What kind of technology do you have in your classroom? Do you think it is being used properly?
