As an educator, what are your present strengths and weaknesses in technology? How do you plan to use your strengths? How do you plan to address the weaknesses?
My strengths and weakness in technology as an educator, I feel, are similar to most educators of my generation. I am adept in basic computer skills, such as creating documents, Power Point presentations, and sending files to others. I grew up using computers, although my first Apple was nothing like the one I own now, and I understand the basics of creating documents using them. I frequently check my Twitter account, and although all my friends have made attempts at me entering the Facebook world, I still am responsible enough to know I have no time for it. (After all, I was a somewhat early adopter of MySpace, and don’t feel the need to jump into anything else right now.) I have had a YouTube account for years, and even though I rarely post, I have certain vlogs I visit regularly. I understand modern Internet technologies on the surface, but a lack of spare time keeps me from attempting to delve any deeper into creating websites and wikis.
Thus bringing me to weaknesses I know I have with technologies… As a lifelong Mac user (aside from a brief stint with an IBM), I feel I have to battle with my school pc while attempting to play DVD’s and other mundane tasks. Truthfully, I would rather the tech guy at our school come and fix any problem with the dozens of wires and cords than even attempt it myself. I love the ease of computers and technology, but have never been one to want to understand the “how” of it all.
The school I teach at, aside from just having antiquated computers, is lower on the technology scale. A few math teachers have Smart Boards and some history classes use document cameras, but I teach in a classroom where I was not surprised to hear, “Wow, you still use one of those?” in reference to my overhead projector. It’s not my choice to only have access to an overhead right now; I’d love an InFocus projector and document camera, but I use the technology I have to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, I am still unclear as to whether my classroom will be getting the InFocus projector I dream of, but it seems that I will have a Smart Board in the next year. As I still am unsure of how I will utilize this technology in a junior high English classroom, I’m just getting ready to go to trainings hoping they will show me the way.
I plan to attempt to use the Smart Board as frequently as I can, but am doubtful it will be of as much use to me as I know an InFocus projector paired with a document camera would be. All I can do is address the technology I am given and continue to use it to the best of my ability, just as I have used the overhead projector up until now.
I would also like to address my weaknesses in understanding wikis with the current course on instructional materials. My current knowledge is limited to using Wikipeodia as a quick reference and attempting to teach kids that it is not a worthy source for research since anyone can amend it at anytime. Aside from understanding wikis, there are several items on our syllabus that are foreign to me, and I hope to have a better understanding of many resources by the end of the course.
