Looking at my concept map you can see what I took away from this class for the most part.

I have to admit that I was looking forward to the technology class. Not only from the standpoint of someone who loves all things related to computers, but to see how it was being incorporated in the classroom. To that end it was both expected and unexpected. A lot of the information seemed to rehashing old material for me, but I know it wasn’t for some of my classmates. Seeing how this technology could be used in the classroom was useful because when it came to utilizing it effectively my creative well was pretty empty. I do think that one question that seemed to run constantly through my mind was how we going to use this material if we were at a school without the necessary resources. It is all nice and good to learn about this, but if we don’t have the necessary equipment it is going to be a little tough. I know we addressed this question in our “Bridging the Digital Divide” strategy, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success unfortunately. Regardless of that, I did encounter a lot of new applications that seemed incredibly useful both inside and outside the classroom.

I could go on and on about the applications, but I’m just going to mention a few of my favorites. The bibliography applications had me shaking my head and wondering where they were when I was editing manuscripts. If you’ve ever used Reference Manager you’ll know what I’m talking about. Evernote spoke to my organizational side. I’m definitely one of those people that constantly emails myself stuff so I’ll remember later. Glogster let me exercise my out of shape creative muscles. The fact that a lot of these programs had an educational component was great. To give teachers tools of such functionality is probably a boon for many.

Patricia S. on Dipity.

I am constantly amazed at how much technology we use in the classroom today. I can remember being in school, the only interaction we had with computers was in typing class. It was unheard of to utilize email. Teachers today use email to communicate with students in the same way that past teachers used pen and paper to get the message across. It amazes me how far I have come in my personal journey with technology. When I graduated from high school, I was only vaguely aware of the usefulness of the Internet. Even 10 years ago when I was an undergraduate student at UF, I didn’t rely on it nearly as much as I do today. Both graduate school and this class have made me realize the importance of technology in the classroom. In developing my lesson plans I use the Internet for nearly every aspect. It has saved me several trips to the library. The Internet is usually the first place I go when I need something, be it information or products. I hate to say it, but the library seems to becoming an almost antiquated concept.

So, when you ask me about the digital divide, I might scoff at the idea, except I have seen a broad spectrum of the haves and have nots. This article makes it clear that the digital divide is relevant. It illustrates the haves and have nots, bringing into startingly clarity what technology does for the classrom. A teacher with something as simple as a Smart Board is able to draw upon the wide resources of the Internet to enhance lectures with pictures, music, even videos. It is a credit to those teachers without access to technology that they can engage their students for the allotted time period. In some cases the lack of technology is not even due to a lack of resources (i.e. computers) but lack of training on the part of the teachers. Considering the future, technology is going to play a large part. We are doing our students a great disservice by not implementing technology in our classrooms. The question that was raised is how would we bridge the digital divide if the technology was not available?

Ideally when I finally find a job, it will be at a school with the latest technology. Realistically, considering today’s job market, that might be something of a slim hope. I might be relegated to scheduling time at the computer lab for students to utilize technology. Although, since a large majority of the student population carries a cell phone, it would not be unreasonable to assume that they could utilize applications such as Twitter. Of course, this is only if I choose to sit idly by and not pursue a course of action that could connect students with a larger network. Connecting students to the Internet would effectively put the power in their hands. Letting them take charge of their own academic journey, perhaps giving students a reason to become interested in the content. Several possibilities exist for this to occur. One teacher of my acquaintance was able to persuade the PTA to fund the purchasing of new textbooks. There is no reason to think the same could not be done in terms of technology. Parents today are aware of the importance of technology in their jobs, so they know their children must be prepared. I’m sure all it might take is demonstrating the importance of technology. America Offline does that. A movement created by Freepress, America Offline is trying to show the world the impact NOT having the Internet has. Getting the PTA to fund the purchase of netbooks after watching some of these videos might become a walk in the park.

In addition, there are hundreds of federal grants that provide money for any reason under the sun. It is more than likely that a teacher could write a grant that would provide them with the funds to purchase computers, Smart Boards, or PCs. Funding School Technology website alone provided more than several opportunities for grant money. It is only a matter of taking charge, in essence becoming a teacher leader and going above what is required. Of course, the other issue is not just resources, but teacher training. Fortunately for me I am pretty up on technology as I find it entirely too useful and fun to play around with. I like having the latest gadget. I hope to make this the status quo for the course of my career. Not to mention I’m going to have to stay knowledgeable just to keep up with my son.

Some people might complain that they do not know how to utilize technology in the classroom. To me that is just a sign of laziness on the part of the teacher. In my brief research I found a plethora of teacher related information on how to integrate technology into the classroom. In the course of this class I have found several useful blogs that are always supplying ideas on how to use technology. Interesting Ways at the EDTE.CH blog provided me with several presentations on how to utilize not only a Smart Board, but the DS. I have always thought the DS is not utilized to its maximum here in the United States, although with the advent of program like Word Coach that is becoming a thing of the past. In Japan, it is utilized to teach children kanji, hiragana, and English. It also provided a ton of other useful ideas on utilizing technology.

It is the Internet that has put primary sources at our fingertips and brought current events to our computer screen and really made them current (i.e. Twitter). Websites offering teachers training and where to find seminars exist, putting technology within the teacher’s grasp. There is no room for teachers to be afraid of technology because it’s importance is immediate and they are doing their students a grave disservice by not learning to use it. I found some great information on technology training at Education World: Technology Integration, not to mention a load of other technology resources. So really teachers have no excuse not to learn. I have discovered that there are some things we may not like to do, but that is definitely no excuse not to do them. Not only does using technology help the student, but it can help you by providing online educational seminars and tutorials, like the Virtual Workshop archive. Actually, the whole page at Education World is very useful in terms of teacher usability.

Bridging the Digital Divide . . . why, it is as easy as crossing a bridge ♥

When I hear the term teacher leader, what do I think? I think of someone who sets an example at their school, either by implementing new classroom techniques or keeping up to date. It is important for teachers to take the lead because in a sense they already are leaders, whether they want to be or not. They lead young students in shaping their minds and preparing them for the future. To this end, teachers need to take a stand and advocate for their students. By advocate, I do not mean just go forth and try to get funding, but it is important for teachers to also stay on top of things, whether that means attending conferences or getting recertified. There are many roles for the teacher to play:

• choosing textbooks and instructional materials;
• shaping the curriculum;
• setting standards for student behavior;
• deciding whether students are tracked into special classes;
• designing staff development and in-service programs;
• setting promotion and retention policies;
• deciding school budgets;
• evaluating teacher performance;
• selecting new teachers; and
• selecting new administrators.

We must also realize that just because we went through a teaching program, we are not all automatically teacher leaders. It takes more work than that. This article provides a great explanation of what it means to be a teacher leader and what can be done to achieve this goal. It definitely gave me something to think about. It also talks about teacher leadership in all its aspects.

Teacher Leader Network brings together teacher leaders from across the country. It helps them hold conversations and discuss ideas for improving their leadership. As the website says, it is responsible for:

Engaging in daily discussions around practice and policy,
Collaborating on action research and other projects for improved student learning,
Sharing their content and pedagogical expertise with pre-service and in-service teachers, and
Refining their policy insights and contributing their voices to the decisions that affect the students and communities they serve

all great ways to encourage teacher leadership. Do I plan to be a teacher leader? I would like to. It is important to keep up on the latest techniques if you want to provide students with the best advantages life has to offer. It is important to attend conferences and continuing education classes, whatever it takes.

So, here is my question to you, one more of curiosity . . . what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of teacher leadership? Why?