Technology has been around for years and I believe that neither Common Core nor the NC Essential Standards themselves will likely influence the positive use of technology in the classroom.  I believe the influence will come from the efforts of the school district to supply and make available necessary technology along with the conscious efforts of the teacher to create and implement lessons using technology.

The technology filled lesson plan continues to be an issue for teachers since not all students have access to computers and internet. Due to the lack of technology, teachers create two lessons; one for students who “have” technology and one for those who “have not”. Teachers that have already developed great lesson plans and maintain good EOG scores are not motivated to create new “technology” filled lessons plans, as this is a very time consuming process. Teachers themselves need to see the value before a positive change will begin.

As I look at my summer externship and reflect on the information I have gathered thus far, I can find numerous ways to connect and implement knowledge into the classroom. I am working with CommScope Industries and am in the process of understanding just about every type of communication you can imagine.  I teach 8^th grade science and the curriculum covers physical, life and earth science.  I can connect my fellowship with the following goals:

Physical Science: metals, non-metals, metalloids, semi-conductors, elements, compounds, solutions, renewable, nonrenewable energy, chemical, physical changes, law of conservation of mass.

Earth Science: health of water system, point source, non-point source pollution, stewards of the environment, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle,

Life Science: bacteria, bio-indicators, decomposers

These are just the obvious goals that I can make connections with and I know there will be more as I continue in the program.  The challenge remains in taking this information and creating lesson plans that will engage and enrich student learning.

Technology problems: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

As I reflect on the greatest challenges for leveraging technology to empower learning in the classroom, I think about this week in the field and the task of simply making a journal entry of my daily activities.  I typically can get around the computer and technology without major difficulties, but for some reason, this week has been brutal!   Technology has many benefits, so of course, as teachers we strive to incorporate these tools into our classroom, but after this week…I just want to quit and go back to the traditional way of learning… bookwork and worksheets!   Here are some difficulties that I dealt with this week.

Connectivity:  Now I’m connected…now I’m not

Syncing devices:  Using correct log-in matters!

Pictures: Taking them is the easy part, sending them to the right program is another problem altogether.

Save, Save, Save…. then remember where you saved it.

Time:  everything on the internet takes time, don’t do anything while in a hurry as it causes major frustration. When you have time, pray that you do it right the first time….the second time is all about correcting mistakes, deleting and reinstalling apps….boo

Owning too many technical devices can be a hindrance.  Knowing where and what device you were on when saving a document is a problem and waste time as you open everything to find it.

These are some concerns that I know I face when using computer technology, but it is worth it.  I would not want to return to the manual typewriter, 35mm camera (developing time of one week) lugging textbooks, overhead projectors, and piles of paper!  Although I have had a difficult week with technology, it has been worth it. So…I will keep calm and carry on!