I was excited to learn that the generation of students I will most likely be teaching are part of the "igeneration" and, not so surprising, this generation has not ever known a world without our every day technologies and conveniences. This, to me, seems like a blessing in disguise. There are many old- fashioned classroom and teaching styles where being full of technology could completely destroy the atmosphere, yet with our growing world, I feel this could potentially help my students grasp concepts faster, and be more willing to a more technology take on my teaching style in the class.
I also found it interesting to see how it is actually "okay" to branch out of the classroom teacher's desk and to use the materials our society provides. Using technology in the work space always left me skeptical, but the textbook helps me to understand that I should rethink the kinds of technology and tools I will be using in my class to better communicate and manage my information. Our society has given us a variety of tools to use to complete a number of tasks such as tablets, smartphones and laptops that I can choose between to complete every task appropriately using word processing, email, grading and record-keeping.
The most informational aspect of this chapter, to me, was that of the Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), which shows how teachers can bring together the three different forms of knowledge to create an exciting learning experience for the 21st century learners. This helps me to understand the different ways I can teach to meet the instructional needs of all my students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wGpSaTzW58
Resources:
Textbook - Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
