Summative.

How will you acquire technology for your classroom?

Working on our grants proposal web quest has opened my eyes to the millions of dollars that are sitting out there waiting to be given to schools that are looking to implement technology! There are so many grants available from large foundations, federal government, small businesses and other sources. Not only that, but there is crowdfunding, door-to-door begging, donors choice, etc. For my own classroom, I’m not yet sure how I will fund the technology needed, simply because I don’t yet know what sources will be available, but now I know where to look. I am currently working with the principal at a charter school in American Fork to set up an interview for a 4^th grade position. As I was researching this particular school they did not seem to have a huge technology focus. I was energized by the thought of filling my classroom and slowly helping bring this charter school to the cutting edge of technology. Maybe these are large goals – that are extremely dependent upon a job offer – but I am no longer afraid of finding sources to fund what I want. Although I am still a little intimidated by big funding places (like the government) I feel extremely confident that I’d be able to acquire technology for my classroom from smaller businesses supporting their local charter school.

How does the use of technology impact your classroom management strategies?

During my undergraduate studies at UVU we had a classroom management course during every semester. It is one of the most difficult aspects of teaching, especially for new teachers, and when you put a device into a child’s hands, it has the potential to turn all of your well planned tactics and strategies topsy turvy! The potential problem of classroom management involving technology hadn’t occurred to me until I was typing out the logistics of my detailed lesson plan. The key to a smooth classroom is to have routines in place so that the students can respond positively to expected behavior. Technology is an added element, but the basic theory remains the same. Procedure and routine needs to be established from day one! Each classroom will be different depending on how the students and teachers interact, but students should be given the opportunity to be creative with the devices and tools they are given while still respecting, maintaining, and caring for the equipment. The best way to find this balance is with established procedures.

Why use technology if you always need a backup plan?

When I was a senior in high school, for my comm 1010 class I was asked to give a speech using a PowerPoint presentation as visual support. I worked so hard on a PowerPoint all about color guard and I was so excited to present it. I was confident that my CD burned properly, but when I put the CD in the player it did not bring up my PowerPoint! To this day, I still have a complex with using data CDs because they failed me once and I felt humiliated. All of us have been in similar situations. It is terrible when our tech doesn’t work. Why go through the sweat and tears for technology when we always should have a back up plan? This question can be answered by reviewing everything we’ve learned over the life of this course! We are here to disrupt the current classroom. We are not teachers called to maintain the status quo and teach the same lessons that our teachers taught! As leaders in technology and curriculum we will experience failure, but as all leaders do, we will become better and more efficient if we press on. The benefits of technology that helps engage our students and prepare them for a digitizing world are worth all back up plans that we create. Our students need the practice and support that comes from daily use of devices in their classroom. We cannot let them enter this digital world without arming them with a knowledge and confidence that they will be able to maneuver through. Teachers are made to be flexible, and I am quickly becoming a passionate advocate of tech in the class, because it is the only way we will make the necessary changes to our education system, which will change our students, which will change the community, and this will change the world.