My Beliefs

I have always believed that we should be educated on the newest forms of technology. Obviously it's here to stay and there will only be more improvements made in the future. We are starting to see technology everywhere: the workplace, homes, and also schools. I am a firm believer that we need to educate our student on real world experience and knowledge, including technology.
I think using technology in the classroom is essential. For one, I think it is eye catching for students and it helps hold their attention. It can also be relatively easy to use, especially for kids because most of them have been exposed to technology at home. For those who haven't, it allows them to try something new and have the opportunity to use technology they would have otherwise never seen. I also think using technology can be very time effective for teachers. It is much quicker to do things on the computer rather than doing them by hand.
I think as educators, it is our responsibility to prepare our students for the real world. By teaching them the basics of using technology and how to use "the spirit of discovery" when they learn something new, we will help them to become productive citizens. Technology truly is the wave of the future and it is important the we recognize this.

Lessons Learned

Whenever I'm dealing with new technology, I always learn a few things by trial and error. I have never made my own videos before and the idea of creating a digital story was completely foreign to me. It took a lot of practice to figure out how to arrange things properly and make sure the music looped well. It also took a lot of patience to make the digital story because it is a lengthy process to plan and then create.
The main thing I had to remember throughout this process was not to get frustrated when something didn't work. Often times, we had to adjust the music settings or fix the pixelation on some of our pictures and it was difficult to be patient and try to figure it out. It really helps to remember to have "the spirit of discovery" and look at making mistakes on a project like this as a learning experience.
It was extremely helpful for me to partner with Trevor on this project because he has a lot of knowledge about making videos and using YouTube. I think it is always helpful to have someone who knows more than you help you learn about something new, especially when it comes to technology. It was really nice to be able to have him help when I messed up on something and needed to fix it or when I was totally clueless.

Strengths & Weaknesses

I have always felt as if I am rather knowledgeable when it comes to technology. I enjoy learning about what's out there and educating those who are less informed. I think this can definitely apply to my abilities as an educator. It is important to continue evaluating and increasing your knowledge when it comes to technology.
It was really interesting to read through the NET standards and decide which of the described statements applied to me. There were several that I immediately recognized as describing my ability when it comes to technology such as applying technology to increase productivity and identifying or locating technology resources and evaluating them for accuracy and suitability. However, with technology being such an ever-changing part of our lives, there are always areas that need more attention or improvement. Learning to manage students while they are participating in technology integrated activities is an area that I would love to learn more about. UEN's Professional Development link shows many technology related courses that could assist in educating teachers about these important points. Two of the offered classes that I think would be extremely helpful to me as an educator include "Internet Safety for Educators" and "Use Technology to Teach". By reading the course descriptions, you can tell that though these classes provide a lot of basic information about teaching with technology and also about how to help your students navigate the technological world.