My Final Statement

At the start of the subject e-learning and once I had started to read about technology in relation to education I was hit with the realisation that as a teacher it will be up to me to keep my own personal learning going in order to stay up to date in understanding all of the new technologies which will present themselves in the near future.  I was a bit nervous at the start of this course as I did not know a lot about many of the programs and pieces of technology which are now available to students in the primary sector, students which will one day be mine to teach.  When I first thought about technology being incorporated into the classroom I thought about it on very basic level, such as just new computers and kids being able to use programs such as Microsoft word or PowerPoint to digitally reproduce their work but nothing as serious as technology being the key or main focus in teaching.  But I have come to realise that there is such a wide range of new technologic tools available which can not only help extend on our lessons to students through a different platform but in fact it can totally reform the way in which we teach.

What amazed me the most through my initial readings and conversations I had with other students doing the subject was that I saw how with the use of technology, it can provide opportunities for all students as it can often break down barriers and eventually lead to students becoming the drivers of their own learning, therefore creating a more student-centered learning environment.  It has changed dramatically from teachers being the sole provider of information to where as now the teacher and student can become partners and collaborate to assist each other in their learning.  With the use of technology often I found through my experiences on practicum that student motivation is lifted and a sense of empowerment is achieved.  From small tasks such as PowerPoint’s, to becoming blogger’s, to creating podcasts and digital movies, students gain a sense of ownership and pride of their work and their learning.  This also leads to students becoming more responsible for their own individual learning.

A quote I gathered from a video titled, “The Connected Classroom” which I have previously written a blog about, was “As teachers we will be preparing students for a technological world which is rapidly changing. We are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been developed.”  I believe that the quote is inspiration enough for teachers to understand and see the importance when it comes to learning about new technologies and being able to incorporate them into their teaching. 

Overall this subject has really inspired me and I hope I can some day be able to incorporate as many new pieces of technology into my teaching appropriately.  I discovered that I really need to incorporate technology into my teaching, not just because we are obligated to as teachers in the primary sector but for the reason that it is vitally important to the future and success of our students so they are not at a disadvantage to their peers.

Reference list:

The Connected Classroom – youtube.com

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6b9478bb0512f0a43028