Strengths and Weaknesses

After reading, testing and watching the videos for this assignment, I have realized that I have many strengths and weaknesses that I can work on when it comes to integrating technology into my lesson plans and classroom. The information that was given to me for this assignment has really opened my mind to how important it is to use technology and how this new generation of student will respond best to technology and assignments that use technology to incorporate or present the old information in a new way. My strengths are in researching information and finding credible sources, knowing the basics of computers, and communicating through technology. Like my students, I am addicted to constant communication through phone calls, text messaging, social networking and emailing. I have those skills down for sure!

I think that my goals will be to learn more computer programs thoroughly enough that I can design awesome assignments that my students can benefit from. I need to be comfortable enough with the programs that I can teacher the terminology and functions well enough for my students to turn around, take the information I have given them, and then use the software for their projects and assignments. My goal to integrate more technology in my classroom will be to create more assignments that involve using word processors, emails, text messages and blogging to turn in writing assignments. I have also been planning on using programs like powerpoint, picassa and photostory to create performance assessments for poetry units, novels and other English assignments. I think it would be awesome to have my students write in their journals one day and then text message me them on other days. That way they can text their entries to my email giving them a change up from writing these entries with paper and pencil. Just a fun idea.

I have already been looking on UEN for free credit hours I can take after I am a contract teacher. The teacher that I co-teach with right now has been looking them over with me and we are going to take a couple technology classes together. Under the Professional Development Course Catalog on the UEN website teachers can find many options to enhance their technical education. The classes I am interested in taking are: Advanced Powerpoint, Create Online Media, Create Online Video Tutorials/Screencasts, Digital Camera in the Classroom, and Digital Video Projects (UEN Classes). We have covered a lot of these techniques and information, but I think it would be cool to dig even deeper and get more ideas on how to use technology in the classroom. These free college credit classes will not only help me with my teaching but will move me towards a lane change on my salary schedule as a teacher. SCORE!!!!