Technology: Friend or Foe?

As I get farther and farther into my Education 250 class, I am becoming both more reassured and more stressed. My two professors have done great justice in empowering our class as students to find the answers ourselves. This not only encourages critical thinking but allows us to see some of what we should do in our own classroom. They have aided the class with accessing many tools, including Internet sites like Taskstream and TeachScape.

This week, TeachScape has become my new enemy as I am currently struggling with a technology barrier. I have encountered numerous problems from inconsistent wifi, to being unable to locate the modules, to my computer not allowing me to submit completed readings. Prior to both Monday and Wednesday’s class meetings, I became extremely frustrated from trying to access my work. My outlook turned sourly pessimistic as I am not a huge fan of technology.

            However, after today’s session, I feel much more accepting of the obstacles I will undoubtedly continue to face. My class spent the majority of the class period talking about how we live in a world run by technology and how its integration into the school system is inevitable. We can’t ignore it or reject the use of it in classrooms because for some children, it’s all they know. Instead, we must incorporate it as a scaffold of student learning. Although it will produces a giant learning curve for me, I am slowly starting to appreciate the potential it brings to a typical “dull math class.” I am more than ready to conquer my battles with technology and be more equipped for my students’ needs.