K-12 Online Conference Presentation #3

I watched “Travelling Through the Dark” by Steven Kimmi who talks about integrating technology into the classroom and some of the obstacles that teachers need to overcome. He had many very good points about technology and one that stuck with me the most was he said if teachers continue to teach the path that they are familiar with, then their students will become citizens of the world who are not ready for the ever changing future. From taking ECMP 355 I have learned many ways to integrate technology into the classroom. I am going to find this rather challenging, as a future teacher, as I am not a very tech saavy person, but if I want my students to benefit and to be engaged in school and society then this will need to be done. A quote he used in his presentation was “Change is hard. Change is hardest in those caught by surprise. Change is hardest on those who have difficulty changing too. But change is natural; change is not now; change is important” (David Schlesinger). Like anything in life, most people do not like change and try to avoid it, but as the world is changing and becoming more advanced every day, teachers need to be open to change and willing to try new things in order to benefit their students, as well as themselves.

He said that teachers should try and take the time to learn technology before using it in the classroom and I agree with him. If the teacher does not feel comfortable using this in class, then the students may sense that and take advantage of the situation. He also said that teachers should find support groups to help them with technology in the classroom and it doesn’t necessarily have to be people in your community or people you know as there are many people online who have the same interests, questions or ideas as you.

Basically, he said that the opportunities are endless for technology in the classroom. There are so many options that you will have to narrow down your choices to find what works for you in your classroom. He said not to get overwhelmed by all of the options out there. I agree with this statement because when I first started ECMP I found alot of it very overwhelming and I never thought that I would understand everything or be able to use it in my future classroom. As the semester has gone by, I now know that the tools I have been shown will be an option and I am so glad that I have taken this class because I have learned so much!