My Digital Inventory
Nicolle Brenza
What is your current vision of technology?
I have grown up with technology constantly changing. So as a result I have to learn the new technology to keep up with the students. I think that technology is a MUST in a classroom and I wish teachers had more access to a wider range of it. I think that technology can be both a positive aspect and negative aspect to our lives. Technology is allowing people to explore and stay connected more effectively but it is constantly at our fingertips. People are so attached to their phones that sometimes they do not even know they are looking at it. The article we read in class, 16 Modern Realities Schools (and Parents) Need to Accept. Now, stated it perfectly, "the 4Cs of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication are no longer enough". I find that some people do not know basic tasks like simple math or finding words in a dictionary because they have a device that can do it for them. There are positive aspects to technology as well. Students and parents can continuously be updated with how their classes and grades are going and be in open communication with administrators, school counselors and teachers. Another positive aspect is that we have Blizzard Bag days and we do not have to make up snow days because the students are learning at home which count as a day of school. In my eyes there are both positive and negative aspects of technology.
What are your goals for using technology in your classroom?
I would like to use technology more effectively in the classroom besides the typical and basic ways. I wish teachers had better access to computers daily for their students because then my whole way of teaching would change. I would have the students on a Chromebook daily looking and researching people, events, or places that are current to that day's topic. I would have review games like Kahoot before a large summative assessment. I would have more online homework and classwork ( and that would help save on paper) for the students to complete. Hopefully, all of that will happen one day in the near future. As for my current situation I try to use some type of technology daily with the students. For example, I use Polleverywhere frequently and bring up videos, articles, and pictures for the students to see. It is difficult too incorporate too much technology because with 150 students not every student has a smart phone or a computer to access at home so you do not want to be singling them out.
What equipment do you have available in your classroom and school? In my classroom I have a teacher computer and a projector.... that is all :( I do not even give the students textbooks. Throughout the Academy there are several computer labs but they are hard to come by because so many teachers are trying to incorporate technology into their classrooms as well.