Refined Philosophy - Blog 2

I have actually realized my passion for using technology as such a huge resource in my instruction by being at this school this semester. I think combining my goal to push students to communicate openly and freely among each other and my goal to use technology in the classroom is definitely a doable thing. My fiance is a computer science major, and I feel very lucky to have acquired a ton of knowledge about computers and technologial information from him. It has really come to be a huge advantage that I have over other teachers at the school. They envy my abilities with powerpoint, (like, embedding videos without having to be online because EVERYTHING is blocked at this school, even teachertube.com). The fact that I can connect with the students this way really makes up for me in areas where I may be lacking. I may not be the best story teller or the most exciting speaker in the world, but they get excited about the videos that I show as lesson openers and the interactive lectures that I have for them.

Pulling the students out of their shell has been easy for me because of technology. They see me as a competant individual who understands them. Suddenly, because they see proof that I understand youtube and powerpoints, they want my opinions. It has actually made them respect me; a side effect I was not looking for, but very happily accept. I think they feel more comfortable with a teacher who has grown up in the era of technology. I'm so glad to see them talking freely about personal matters to me and each other. Being a psychology class, we have lots of opportunities to tell stories and speak about our own life's experiences. It is very useful, for instance, when discussing dreaming if someone tells us how they have witnessed their dog during REM sleep. This connects them to something on a personal level.

Furthermore, since I have the abilities, I could go online and embed a youtube video into my powerpoint that shows the effects on the eye during REM sleep. I used an example of "Call of Duty 5" in one of my lectures on spatial ability and inserted a video game still right on my powerpoint. That knowledge I must attribute to my fiance, but it is still an example of how to connect with them and make things relevant using technology. I believe I will always think technology is the best way to connect with my students, and I am very thankful that I grew up in the era that I did and that I am personally open to learning new technologies. I think my students are just as thankful.

This I believe

I believe that in this ever changing and evolving world, students now have more opportunities to learn than ever, and that as an educator, it is my responsibility to utilize these opportunities so that they are not lost. As I look around the classes I have attended and the classes I am currently observing and teaching, I see so many opportunities that weren't available even a few years ago. Technology and the ability to have the world at your finger tips is a huge advantage to students right now, in 2009. Students crave knowledge; it is a natural desire for the human brain to learn and be challenged. Students lose this desire over time from being bored to tears in classes where teachers fail to utilize the students modern technological tools - everything from computers to phones can be used in the classroom. Instead, so often, what I see is teachers who are absolutely adamant that the use of these things in the classroom should be prohibited. I believe it should be encouraged. If students are expected to be excited about learning, educators have to meet them where they can understand, create, and grow. If I want to connect to my students, I need to use means which are relevant, as well as content. What better way to relate an assignment to a student than to use tools that they love? What a great way to capture their attention, with technologies that they are excited about, that they have an innate desire to learn about. Sit a student down with a book and watch his eyes glaze over, but sit him down in front of a computer and watch him come to life. There, on that computer, are endless books of knowledge. He can find anything he desires. He can research any topic, and he can create countless numbers of different projects for learning. We have graduated from a level of education that is stuck on pen and paper. We are moving into a world that will never stay the same. Type something into google, search a video on youtube, tivo your favorite discovery channel show. I believe it is simple to use the technology at hand. Teachers are the most useful tool to learning for the students, and next is the great array of technology that is available to us today.