Tussling with Technology

Nothing can be more wonderful and more frustrating than technology. Just ask any teacher or any student and they will tell you their success as well as their horror stories. As a teacher or future teacher, you must be prepared for the temper tantrum that technology can throw you at any given time and know that sometimes there is nothing you can do to get it to work.

This semester in my learning community our class learned about the various types of technology that can be used in the classroom. This class has been eye opening and showed me that there are other things we can use besides power point and word. These technologies ranged from audio technology and podcasting to assistive technology which includes computers controlled by eye movement and large button key boards. The wonderful thing about these different technologies is that they can really help a student get the most out of their education. If a student has a visual disability, a keyboard with bigger buttons or a program that reads text to them can help them achieve their goals and struggle less in school.

What is frustrating about these technologies is their inability to consistently work. You could be using it perfectly one day and then the next day it won’t even turn on. As a teacher or future teacher you must have a backup plan. If you know a specific technology loses its charge easily, bring a charger or spare batteries with you. Also having the instruction manual nearby could prove useful if there isn’t anyone around from IT. If all else fails, there must be something else you can give to your student to continue the lesson. Just because technology decides not to work doesn’t mean nothing can be accomplished in class that day.