My Vision for How Technology will be Used in My Classroom

Technology will be incorporated into many aspects of my classroom, just like it has the world.  My goal is to utilize the technology available to me, as a teacher, in order to supplement and enhance my students’ learning objectives. It would be in a waste of money for the technology to sit in a corner of the room and not be used for its intended purpose; therefore, in an effort to help my students, I will request training or assistance with any piece of technology that I cannot use proficiently. In order to help my students grow, I need to use technology for communication, learning (to supplement material covered in class and provide a social element), and assessment. 

Communication with other teachers and parents is vital for students to be successful. Teachers outside of my classroom need to know where in the pacing guide my class is in order to effectively help students with special learning needs or to help plan themed school days. By utilizing Google Drive, I can share my pacing guide with other teachers, check off what my students have already completed, and share examples of student work.

Parents need to know what their students are learning and how they can help their students. My hope is for my school district to utilize a program, like Skyward, that allows parents to access their student’s grades online at home or from another computer. I will be able to leave a message to the parent explaining the reasoning for that grade or any concerns I might have about their child. What is nice about the program is that parents can also message me with any concerns they might have. I will also utilize newsletter programs to give parents periodic updates about what is going on in my classroom, the grade, and the school.

A SmartBoard is a piece of technology that is necessary in my classroom. Using the NoteBook, I will create engaging and interactive lessons. Students will be able to come up to the board and use the tools to manipulate objects on the board in order to discover new information or practice skills. Additionally, the SmartBoard will be used during centers time – there might be a game or an activity on the SmartBoard for students to complete.

To help my students become social learners, it is important for my classroom to have laptops available to students. I prefer laptops to desktop computers because they allow mobility. Students are not stuck in one place or in the computer lab. They can take the laptops around the classroom to an area that is most conducive for their work. Laptops have a broad range of uses in the elementary classroom. They allow my students to conduct research, create interactive presentations, engage in simulations, practice challenging concepts and publish and post work on secure forums in order to share with their peers and family.

Technology will play an important role in the assessment of my students. Some assessments will be presentations or videos they have created, while others might be published writing samples. In order to reduce test anxiety, some tests will be given on the computer since many of the standardized tests required in Virginia are given on the computer.

I am excited for all of the opportunities that I will have to incorporate innovative technology into my classroom for communication, learning, and assessment.  There is a wealth of educational programs and software available. Edudemic compiled a list of fifty tools that every teacher should know (but they aren’t limited to teachers!), which can be found at:

http://www.edudemic.com/50-education-technology-tools-every-teacher-should-know-about/