Blog Entry #1

The following questions should be addressed in this first entry: (1) what do you hope to gain and learn by taking this class? (2) what experiences do you bring to the class from your own use of technology? (3) what kind of technology integration project would you like to work on in this class? (4) how will what you learn and do in this class connect to what you are doing in your own classroom? I currently have experience with some educational technology tools (Google Docs, SmartBoards, iPad for classroom use) but would like to expand my list of materials and become more fluent with the tools that I already utilize. In the past, I have taught at schools with one-to-one iPad programs, SmartBoards in every room, and multiple labs with PC and Macs. My current school, a charter school, sometimes hurts for funding and is not able to afford access to multiple expensive technology tools. I would like to learn how to best use technology that is readily available and affordable (or even better, free) so that I can become a more effective teacher and can help my students reach their full potential. Next year I will be teaching several math classes for students with special needs. I would like my project for this class to focus on utilizing the iPads that these students have access to. Currently, I do daily formative assessments on paper and these are not working with my special needs students; I am not gaining effective information from them in the way that I would like. I plan on incorporating drawing or sketch applications from the iPad with this class. This would give my students more freedom in the way they answer the questions and, since they can easily email a copy to me, it will be easier for me to look a record of one student's comprehension as any given unit progresses. I have noticed that many of the students in this class take easily to their iPads and are much more willing to learn if they are allowed to use them. I plan to begin with the formative assessments but expand the way that we use them in class as the year continues. I hope that I will be able to incorporate many of the Internet-based tools we see in EDT 619 into my classroom. If a student asks a question about a certain topic it would be nice to quickly and effectively pull something up on the computer that engages their curiosity, deepens their understanding, and makes them want to know more. As a math teacher I often get asked, "When will I use this in real life?". I think I can use what I will learn in this class to dynamically answer that question in a way that shows my students how what they learn inside the classroom can also be used outside of it.