Technology+In+the+Classroom

Today when I arrived at work, I tried to turn on my computer, like I do every morning and it would not turn on. Of course the first thing I do is push all the buttons, check all the plugs, and get on the floor to check the power strip, still nothing. Then I start stressing out, all my lessons for that day are for the my Smartboard. What do I do for a day without my precious Smartboard? And yes it is very precious to me, even though it is only an object. All the videos, interactive lessons, and review questions are lost for the day.

This major set back on my whole entire day, I'm a bit dramatic about the situation, made me think about how technology has really changed the way we teach. I spend countless hours either searching for the perfect already made notebook lesson or making my own. Students in our classrooms today cannot imagine a classroom without Smartboards in them. The students we currently teach use technology in a whole different way than I ever did when I was in the third grade. Technology to me at the age of eight was American Online and instant messaging my friends. At school, we went to the computer lab, maybe once a week, and learned how to type. Today my students use technology and the internet to research their projects, connect with people, and so much more.

Technology has allowed my day to day lessons to become more engaging. During the day, my students are either up at the board figuring out multiple problems or watching a video about life cycles of chickens. I have found that technology has improved my students abilities to grasp difficult subjects and experience topics they may have never before. I can only imagine the ways technology will change when my current third graders are in their mid-twenties. Will all students have I-pads instead of textbooks? Will students be sitting at desk with a single teacher in front of them?