Standard 11c
Technology - Use and management. Candidates effectively use and manage all technology available to them and explore uses of emerging resources. They promote the equitable, ethical and legal use of technology resources.
Supporting Explanation
Candidates design effective environments for using and managing technology in the classroom. They are able to perform minor trouble-shooting operations. When planning units of instruction, candidates address software purchasing agreements, copyright laws, issues related to intellectual property, the importance of virus protection, and policies for acceptable use of Internet resources. Candidates seek information from technical manuals and journals as well as on-line resources to learn about emerging technologies and to explore their possible educational applications. They model the legal and ethical use of technology resources.
What? (Evidence)
So What? (Reflection)
One important thing that I learned about technology is that it does not always do what you want it to do. Therefore, it is important to know basic trouble-shooting operations. In the process of creating the Web 2.0 tools Google site, I looked at many different on-line resources to understand the educational applications of each of the tools. The perimeter and area flipchart was the first flipchart that I had ever created. To create the flipchart, I had to look for information from the online manuals in order to understand what I was doing. I think that the use of technology is sometimes challenging and results in many teachers giving up on technology. I feel as though understand how to manage and use the available technology is something that has to be done in order to open up enhancement oppurtunities with student learning.
Now What? (Direction)
I feel as though I, as a teacher, cannot expect children to be technologically literate if I myself am not. A big part of this literacy is knowing how to use, manage, and sometimes fix technology. I feel as though not understanding a technological resource can be easily fixed by seeking the myriad of on-line resources and manuals available or collaborating with other professionals. I also feel that it is important for teachers to stress to children the legal and ethical use of technology resources, including how to identify sites with misleading or inaccurate information.