Field Experience #2

What: It has been really interesting to enter the typical classroom and see what type of technology is available to students and the teacher. I always imagined each class as having at least minimal technology such as a television, DVD player, or VCR. However, this class was different. Though it was a more wealthy area, there really was not much technology available in the classroom. The technology that was present was shared between several classes so the teachers often had to work out a schedule for using it.
So What: It's difficult to plan to use technology in the classroom when you aren't sure that the school you will be teaching at will have a wide array of technology available for your use. I am assuming that technology should be becoming more readily available with all of the advancements being made, but it seems as if schools are often one of the last places affected by this. I am hoping that by the time I begin teaching, there will be more opportunity to use technology in the classroom. I think regardless of what you are able to use in your classroom, it is still our responsibility to make sure students know how to safely and responsibly use technology. With the internet becoming so easy to access and more students having it at home, it's important that we address this in a classroom setting, even if it is not something used in class.
Now What: The biggest thing I have come to realize is that you have to be prepared to deal with whatever kind of technology you are handed as an educator. Sometimes you have grand ideas for what you can do with computers in your classroom, but if those computers aren't available, you have to change your plan. This comes with learning to be flexible, something I think is really important for teachers.