Jill Flanagan: Gems and Ops of Technology Class

Ahhh, technology: it is supposed to improve the quality of our lives, yet it can be the bane of our existence. Technology is definitely a way to bring videos and images into the classroom (my history teacher in 1987 used slide shows to bring history to life); now we can use videos, web chats, pod casts, social networking, and the Internet to be connected in ways that we have never been before. Over the course of the past three weeks, we have learned new ways to incorporate technology into our classrooms. I used my interactive game with my students yesterday; they really enjoyed it, and I was able to tweak the program throughout the day to troubleshoot question issues. I also had a conversation with another student about a different program I could use that might be a better fit. Also, I have learned about some cool multimedia tools to use in my instruction and assignments--the idea of a photo story has a lot of potential for use. I want to continue to develop my webpage as well.

The real issue with using technology in education will be trying to "keep up with the Joneses;" funding, maintaining, and updating devices will be the challenge for school district administrators. Companies are creating new, smaller, faster devices as often as they can, and we will constantly have to play catch up. I do believe there is still a place for real books, paper, and pencils in our classrooms, but technology can give us a chance to enhance learning experiences.