Enjoy. Exist. Eat. Explore. Educate.: EDU 352 Technology Integration Journal (Week 3)

It is undeniable that technology has become a part of our daily lives. As educators, an ever-increasing array of technological tools has become available to utilize in the classroom with our students to help enhance their educational experience. When I think of myself as an educator, I have always envisioned myself in an elementary school classroom, specifically with Kindergarten or first grade children. Because of this, I feel that I look at and identify with a different level of the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) when compared with an educator at the middle or high school level. Therefore, based on both my own capabilities and comfort levels with varying forms of technology in an educational setting, and my personal experience with technology in a classroom, I most identify with the Active Adaptation level of the TIM.

The Active Adaptation level of the TIM states that “students work independently with technology tools in conventional ways” and that “students are developing a conceptual understanding of technology tools and begin to engage with these tools” (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, n.d.). Thus far, my experiences in a classroom have all taken place with first grade students, all of whom are still learning to utilize computers for an educational purpose. While students may be completely familiar and confident in their ability to manipulate forms of technology such as mp3s, video games systems, computers, and personal tablets, navigating through Microsoft Word, typing on a computer keyboard and using a mouse, and even using a SmartBoard might all be foreign experiences for students.

Therefore, as an educator in a lower grade classroom, I feel it will be my responsibility to direct and guide the students, specifically when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom. I think it will be my job to choose the appropriate tools for each lesson and to monitor the students as they learn to use the tools and work towards completing their lessons, which is stated as a responsibility of the teacher in the description for the Active Adaptation level of the TIM (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, n.d.). For example, I can have all of the links to the websites that I want my students to utilize already listed and bookmarked on our classroom computers. Click on this link, Active Adaptation in a First Grade Classroom, to watch a short video that shows a great example of a first grade teacher utilizing technology at the Active Adaptation level.

There are so many fun and educational websites available for teachers and students that I plan to take full advantage of, but I also plan to help my students become better prepared for education, as well as life, in the 21^st century by introducing and exposing them to things like word processing programs and using a computer to create simple bar or pie graphs. I would hope that I would be able to provide a variety of technological tools in my classroom, as well as multiple opportunities throughout the school year for my students to use the various forms of technology, to gain confidence in their capabilities using these tools, and to learn to use these tools in a way that engages them and gets them excited about learning.