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.

Take 2: A Spoonful of Confidence Makes a Big Difference

While I was overwhelmed after the first few sessions, I am happy to report that I am getting the hang of how Education 250 is ran. Education 250 is no longer solely a stress giver but is starting to become a stress reliever. As I really begin looking ahead toward becoming a teacher, there is a lot of unknown. Will I jump right in with a job? How will I establish authority in my classroom as someone a few years older than them? Will my authority be formed from mutual respect? Will my classroom provide an understanding, homely atmosphere where my students feel welcome? With all of the questions, it is very easy to be intimidated.

However, being in this class has allowed me to see the answers I do have. Even with only five class sessions, I feel as if I have learned a great deal. Without planning it, I have caught myself assessing how my professors engage with and keep (or don’t keep) his or her students’ interest. I can feel myself evaluating my teachers as I attend sessions each day, contemplating which habits of theirs I would like to mimic and which habits I want to avoid. As an aspiring mathematics teacher, one of my biggest goals is to keep my classes interesting. As I have encountered more and more high school and college students, the more I have heard negative feelings towards math classes. I want to change this. I want to get all of my students actively participating and find creative ways for them to explore mathematical concepts.

To go along well with this, every part of each Education 250 class has tied into the theme of the fact that we will be running our own classrooms. Over the past week, our focal point has been different philosophies that teachers incorporate into the classroom. To encourage our leadership, our professors had us make decisions on our philosophy project’s meaning criteria. They paired us up, gave each pair a philosophy and basically said “GO!” Now, here we are! We’re off to the races, researching and collaborating within five days! Who would’ve thought I’d be completely comfortable and excited to work on a video project with a new friend after only a handful of class sessions? Instead of hesitant and not enthused by what I thought would be a dry topic, I am full of joy because I know God is calling me to teach and this will all help me get there!