Blog Post 5

I went to a school of technology, so the teachers always tried to include technology into the lessons as much as possible. By the end of my high school years, we were all even required to have an iPad. There were many apps that could be used in a variety of ways to enhance learning. In math, we used an app that served as a graphing calculator; in English we used Websites to check for grammar and plagiarism in papers, and used eBooks to avoid having to buy textbooks; in economics we used interactive games to learn the ins and outs of economical stability. There wasn't a single day that at least one of my teachers used an app or website to enhance our learning experience and provide an additional resource to the students. We would also frequently use YouTube videos, Powerpoints, or online interactive websites as alternate/hands-on ways of learning.

Honestly, I feel like I am more than capable of incorporating different uses of technology into the classroom. I have "grown up" with technology and feel that I am able to learn different uses/techniques very quickly. There's always tons of blogs/websites which provide new ideas to teachers, and teachers testimonies on whether they liked the new technology or not. It will be important to pay attention to the students' feedback on each source of technology used, and see if they find it beneficial and useful. I think being born into the Technology Era makes me naturally more "tech savvy" that those who were my teachers, and I think as long as I am able to find technologies that my students actually enjoy, it can be very beneficial in the education system.

Honestly, I really liked the concept mapping tool we used in class! I like how the Inspiration program lets you build your concept map, and then turn all the info into an outline with the click of a button. When I teach little kids I could definitely see me using this tool to help explain concepts, and I like that I would be able to include Hyperlinks and cute pictures to help the kids understand even better! So far, I think Inspiration is a great program and will actually be very beneficial to my teaching career.