Technology Journey 2

This is a paper that I wrote after I had finished this assignment. Writing this paper helped me to realize all that I had learned over the course of the semester. This paper is a conclusion to all that I have learned in ICE 234.

I would have to say that this class has definitely pushed me toward becoming more adept with technology. A few months ago, I would have believed this statement to be impossible. I was the girl who was good at Myspace, AOL, and another other incredibly easy to use program. Sit me down with an Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint, and I was off and running in the other direction.
I am happy to say that technology and I are no longer enemies. In fact, I would go so far as to say that instead of a feud, a partnership has manifested between us. I can now see that using technology in the classroom is not a tool that I must use, but it has become a tool that enhances whatever learning opportunity I would try to give my students. Technology is no longer something that I feel I have to put up with, but something that I can see changing the way that I believe I should teach.
I have definitely learned the benefits of using technology in the classroom. Visual aids of PowerPoint presentations, short video clips, and posters definitely help to hold a student's attention as well as help me to focus my lesson and keep student's on track. I have also learned about different programs that have been credited for teachers, something that I didn't think really existed. Programs like Inspiration do not do the work for a teacher, instead, they help to focus and idea and to organize the idea into a lesson that a teacher can use.
My only concern at the start of this class was the thought that technology was taking the place of a teacher. Growing up, I had always had teacher's who used hands-on activities as a way of showing the student's information. Instead of reading about an activity, we actually did it. In today's society, doing an activity is slowly being replaced by watching the activity being done virtually on the computer. However, I have seen that teacher's do not always need to use hands-on activities, and also, that every lesson does not have to always include technology. In my classroom, I hope to have a balance of technology and hands-on activity, allowing my student's to get the best of both worlds.
I do have to admit that I am not comfortable using all forms of technology. To be honest, unless I have help, I am limited to Word and searching on the internet. Though I now like technology, I am still intimidated by it. To overcome this, I plan on continuing to learn new educational technology, and hope to network with other teacher's who may have more experience than I, teacher's who can help with my own technology shortcomings.
Technology is not something a teacher can ignore. That must have been the hardest lesson I have had to learn, and the most beneficial. I hope to use all that I have learn to help my student's achieve success in this technology-filled world.