Personal & Professional Technology Experiences

I admit it...I am weary about technology. I believe that some of the things that have come out through out the months/years are ludicrous. Much of my skepticism comes from that fact that some things really just don't fit into my daily-routine. I go by the motto "if it's not broken, don't fix it". Why am I going to get an i-phone if my standard phone works perfectly? Why am I going to get a kindle when I have books on a shelf? Call me stubborn, but there are certain things that technology and I don't see eye-to-eye on. With that being said, I find that technology really has helped my day-to-day life such as using my laptop with wireless internet and wireless printer. For me, technology has both (+) and (-) aspects. As convenient as some things may be, there are still other things that are a hassle.

It doesn't surprise me that I am currently employed in place where I use the computer minimally through out the day. I work at a psychiatric hospital in the children's unit, so for example today I only used the computer to go on the internet to print out spiderman coloring pages for a 6 year old. I find my computer usage at work to be almost laughable because I try and avoid it like the plague. I mean realistically speaking, there is no time in my work day to use the computer because I am with the children and conducting sessions/groups all day. However, when I go to school with the children there is a smart board in the classroom. I find it almost humorous that the children know how to use the board better than I do. It's almost embarrassing because they are the ones teaching me new things, and "cool" shortcuts on the board.

My comfort level with technology is pretty obvious. However, I open and willing to learn new things, which makes for an effective teacher. Sometimes I do surprise myself because I think I know a lot more about technology than I give myself credit for.

In terms of this class, I really just want to be aware of what educational technology is out there and become comfortable with it. I don't have that much experience with educational technology, so anything is helpful really. Just to know what's out there in classrooms and how it's being used is helpful. Essentially, I want to become confident enough to implement various technological tools within the curriculum/lesson so that I can enhance learning for everyone.