Technology in the Classroom

[Laci Beck]

As a mother and former paraeducator, I feel that I will be well suited to teach kindergarten. I have experience dealing with all sorts of learners and I feel that accommodating students’ needs comes very naturally to me. I worked at Sterling Grade School for two years. From this experience, I learned that all students learn differently and that you must spend time with each child individually to learn what that child needs to succeed.
I would love to teach in the Fairfield school district because my two sons are students in the district at Fairfield East Elementary. I live in Arlington and I love the small town atmosphere. Also, I feel that my tone of voice and stature are very appropriate for younger students.
My strongest attribute when it comes to teaching would have to be my experience as a mother. I understand how children’ minds work and how they need to be approached regarding discipline. I know that my tone of voice and attitude toward children will shape how they react to me, I can use this to my advantage.
Five years from now, I would like to be in my own classroom with an entire class of thriving learners who are excited about what I have to teach them. I want to have a great relationship with the parents and faculty and I want to be successful in teaching my class everything which is required and more.
I plan to use the internet frequently to stay abreast of new technology. I am very interested in learning how it can make my teaching more effective. I understand that today’s children are very tech-savvy, and I intend to use that to my advantage. I will integrate technology in my classroom not only to teach the lesson, but also to engage the students.
In my classroom, I would like to utilize iPods for center time for auditory learners. I can record my voice as I read books, and students can use the iPods for a “book on tape” type of activity. They can hear my voice and read along. For visual and tactile learners, I would like to use a smart board. I think that visualizing the objects and moving them on the screen will be a great way for children to see how things work.
Technology has helped me immensely through college. It has been very handy for me to have all of the information I need right on my computer. I have used the internet frequently as a resource for lesson plan ideas and pictures to use for bulletin boards and worksheets.
I enjoy sharing technology with my classmates and other people in education. If I find a website or device that is helpful to me, I love sharing it with others who may find it to be useful as well.
I have found webcams to be quite helpful in the event of a child being away from school for a long period of time. I can use a cam to video my lesson, then attach it to an email and send it to the student. This way, he or she can see and hear the lesson and not fall behind in the class. Also, I use Google quite frequently to find information for lessons.

[Dean Mantz]

Laci,

I find your use various learning styles in this post very appropriate. For elementary, certainly Kindergarten, this will hold true. Many students will have been fortunate with how their parents prepared them for school while other students will not be as fortunate. One thing you could have done to improve this post was for the inclusion of a summarizing paragraph. Overall, you wrote a very reflective blog. Best wishes to you and the family.