Technology strengths and weaknesses..... (Assignment 1)

School librarians and teachers generally strive to use the latest technology in their classrooms for the benefit of their students. All teachers and librarians have varying levels of expertise in the use and implementation of technology in the classroom. Right now I would say my technological strengths fall into modeling and using technology as an extension of our in-class experiences.  We use technology daily, including the projector/document camera set up, as a part of our lessons. My students also have the opportunity to use an online math program that is student paced and self correcting. I am responsible for monitoring their lessons, and checking metrics as we go. I am also lucky enough to have a Smart Board and an Air Slate at my disposal. These tools are super engaging for my students as well. I use the Smart board as a tool for review, and introduction. There are so many amazing and fun games that align to what I teach. In addition to all of that, my campus also has and IVC setup (interactive video conferencing) that we share. We use this as frequently as I can find speakers or programs that align to our instruction. So I am fairly strong in the setting up, leading, and using applications for technology that already exist.  My biggest weakness is in how I use the technology in my instruction. While we do use technology every day, it is generally for review, or as a tool for whole group learning. I would like to learn to plan lessons, or projects, that require the students to not only use collaboration, but also technology is a part of the assignment. My skills in using collaborative technology are still evolving (like Wiki's or google docs) so I am still unsure how to best use this technology in a lesson or assignment. Another challenge I am facing is making these tools (especially any that would involve social media) and the assignments appropriate for my second graders. I have some students who are true technology whiz-kids, and others who are still needing assistance in opening an Internet browser. The gaps in the kids exposure to technology at this point are sometimes very stifling for including technology as a part of the assignment. Another area of professional growth I need to address is learning to create my own curriculum for the technology I have, for example the Smart board could be used more frequently, if I was more knowledgeable about how to create my own games or presentations. Overall, I would say that I am very proficient at setting up and using basic classroom technology. My areas of focus as I learn more about using current resources will be integrating technology into the student's collaborative projects, and creating my own technology based curriculum for my classroom.

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