"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Hellen Keller
As I come to the
end of my formal technology education studies, a choice lies before me: keep
the status quo and eventually stagnate into ineffectiveness, or continue on the
journey I have thus begun. Since the
first is an unacceptable waste of all I have learned so far, I will choose the
later path. In order to continue growing
and maturing into an effective educational technology specialist, there are
several things that must be put in place.
I must gather a support group of colleagues and professional subject
matter experts who will help me to continue to progress, and from whom I can
continue to learn. I need to create a resource base with which to stay current
and help me to stay on the cutting edge of current and emerging educational
technology. To build upon the framework that I have already learned, it is
important to define several areas of further study to deepen my understanding
of the proper application of technology in the classroom.
There
are three people who have been great assets in my growth and learning thus far,
and who I hope will continue to do so for years to come. Nan Halpern, my current mentor, is always
exploring and sharing ideas and example of emerging technology. She does not take no for an answer, so she
will help to push me to do my best.
Scott Parker is a friend from my church who manages a group of Java software
developers. Since one of my long term
goals is to learn to write in Java, he will be a great resource. He has already
gotten me started in finding training activities and is willing to help me as I
learn. Steve Rose is my first technology
mentor, and although he lives in California, he is always willing to give
advice or help with figuring out solutions to tough technology issues.
One
professional that I would like to follow is Lisa Nielsen, the author of the
blog, “The Innovative Educator”. She
crusades to make school less boring and more relevant. According to the bio on her website, http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com, she
has been named one of the top 100 influential voices in education. Educational relevancy is very important to me,
so I want to learn as much as I can from her.
Steve Hargadon (www.stevehargadon.com) is another blogger that I intend
to follow. He has many articles and
informative posts. Included in his blog
is a weekly podcast on current educational issues. For a more practical approach to classroom
technology, there is Dr. Sam Patterson and My paperless Classroom. I plan to
follow his Twitter feed (twitter.com/SamPatue). Although he currently teaches K-5 technology,
many of his ideas work throughout elementary and middle school. His ideas and experience in science will also
be helpful.
Along
with these individuals, there are several educational resources that I think
will be beneficial. Ed Tech Roundup (www.edtechroundup.org) is a great site
to see what is new in classroom technology.
Edutopia (www.edutopia.org) part of the George Lucas Educational
Foundation, Has many ideas for using tech effectively in the classroom. Because we are presently considered a
technologically poor school, a site like Free Technology for Teachers (www.freetech4teachers.com) should
come in very handy. There are many good
free solutions out there, they are often just hard to find. This site should prove invaluable. I have already mentioned Steve Hargadon’s site
(www.stevehargadon.com) and The
Innovative Educator (http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com)
as sites of value. For a more
unconventional view of technology use, I choose MindShift
(ww2.kqed.org/mindshift). They seem to
discuss all the issues that we as teacher would like to address, but may be
timid to mention. Descriptions of many of these sites can be found at https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2015/01/top-education-tech-blogs/.
There
are three areas in the technology realm that I would like to continue exploring
with ongoing training. I would like to
learn to program in Java. I plan to do
the lessons and tutorials at www.w3schools.com. You can even get a certification for
completing the program. Along with this, I want to learn how to use Smart
Technology more effectively, integrating the lessons and presentations with the
use of student response clickers. I am
somewhat familiar with this technology, but there is so much more that can be
done with it. I will be also looking
into becoming certified by Microsoft as a Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA).
They teach the fundamentals of IT
technology. This would be a great skill
set to have in a technology school setting.
These
are just a few of the many resources available to the teacher desiring to
advance technologically. Continuing my
education in technology skills will be very important for me in the future. Surrounding myself with key people, resources,
and ongoing educational activities will help me continue to be effective and
relevant in the classroom for years to come.
Teamwork
graphic from Microsoft Office, licensed under Creative Commons.
Hellen
Keller Quote retrieved 2015, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/helen_keller.html
