Technology in Education

            The generation that I have grown up with has been able to experience something rather unique.  My colleagues and I were able to bridge the gap between the computer-less classrooms of groups before us and the digital world that surrounds current and future generations.  Having this perspective allows us to create connections with current students much more seamlessly than teachers before us.  The reason I think these connections may be a little better is that the technology being developed will not be as foreign as it was to teachers when the rapid development occurred.  With this in mind, I am very confident and excited about the role that technology will take in my career as a teacher. 

            By and large, the greatest benefit of technology is the sheer access it provides for students.  Many students have computers in their homes, and for those that do not, they certainly have them in school.  This means unparalleled, instantaneous, access to information.  It is my personal opinion that, similarly to grasping large numbers, humans are simply not capable of comprehending the amount of information that is at our fingertips.  And in a world where information is power, being able to provide that information to students seems like a no-brainer. 

Furthermore, my strong opinion in support of technology is based in the inevitability of the development of this technology.  The bottom line is that, no matter what we do, this technology will surround these students always and forever.  With that in mind, it is important that we help these young people build the skills needed to navigate technology.  As pointed out in Kevin Kelly’s 2010 New York Times Article: Achieving Techno-Literacy, “You teach the student…not to learn stuff, but to learn how to learn.”  Those words of Kelly’s 8^th grade son could not be more dead on.  It is our role as educators to be stewards of proper use of technology, if we ignore this charge, we are simply setting up our students for failure.  An example of what happens when you fail to educate kids on the proper use of technology was explored in 2010 survey by Scholastic.  A New York Times article cited that nearly 2/5 of children surveyed believed that all information found on the Internet is accurate.  To me, you will not hear a louder call for the effective use of technology in education. 

 With the aforementioned in mind, there is certainly a time for students to unplug and simply physically interact with other learners and with their environments.  One of biggest downfalls of technology is when it is overused and substituted for experiential education.   This especially needs to be considered when looking at various learning styles.  While we can make generalizations that youth will learn better through technologies, a lot of times students will simply need to touch and feel to learn.  Being able to find the perfect balance between overuse and proper use of technology is one of the more difficult parts of technology in education.

On the other side of the coin, it is important to realize and appreciate the impact of assistive technologies (AT).  AT will not only help students with disabilities, but it will also assist in reaching students of various learning styles.  For instance, finding software that turns words into pictures or vice versa not only helps students with speaking difficulties but will also help learners who rely heavily on visual stimuli. 

In looking towards what my classroom will look like, there is no doubt that technology will play a pivotal role in my curriculum.  Specifically, I will focus heavily on using various forms of media to provide access to information.  I firmly believe that allowing the students to create their own pieces of media provides some important skills.  Having them create movies and Podcasts, as we have in this IT course, will allow them to employ their learning and understanding.  It is through this employment that students will be able to solidify what they have learned.  Ultimately, I no longer want technology to be viewed as an additional class; I foresee a school where technology is interweaved in every aspect of the curriculum.    

Classroom Technology

Which technology do you think you would be most likely to use in your future classroom and why?

Hands down, the technology that would be used most in my classroom was the SmartBoard.  While I have used SmartBoards a little bit, I did not fully understand the immense power of the SmartBoard.  That is, I was not aware of the sheer number of applications and programs that were available specifically for the use on a SmartBoard.  Some of the applications that I sampled involved the human body and the various phases of the moon.  These amazing extensions of an already powerful technology certainly proved how great a SmartBoard can be.  While I am somewhat skeptical about the access to SmartBoards or similar technologies, I have seen that some of the newer schools are indeed using the technology.  I can only hope that one will be in my classroom, because not only would I love to use it, I would prefer it the traditional whiteboard. 


Which technology do you think you would be least likely to use and why?
The technology that I found least likely I would use would have to be ones that have very similar counterparts already in use on a regular computer.  For instance, Shwup and Animoto achieve things that I can already do in pieces of software like iMove.  Furthermore, using technology that is already developed by larger companies like Apple or Microsoft seem to be so much more powerful.  And while the web based products may be somewhat easier to use, I certainly prefer the personal computer based ones.


What did you did you learn about instructional strategies from your peers that you might put into effect in your future classroom?
I learned a lot about using pieces of technologies to reach students that do not necessarily feel reached in a traditional classroom. As future teachers we are really taught about the importance of differentiation of instruction.  Learning about these various pieces of technology was very simply a great presentation of some of the great ways we can reach differentiation.  

Were you surprised at students’ responses and/or work with technology as shown by your peers who chose Option 2?

This question is not applicable as none of my colleagues used Option 2.


What was the most fascinating thing you learned from your peers today?
Quite possibly the most impressive thing that I was able to gain from my peers was how well one can draw educational applicability out of nearly any piece technology or software.  Learning about the educational impact of tools like PollDaddy or Voki where it is necessary explicit, was simply fantastic.   

Assistive Technology: Dragon Dictation

Name of Technology:
Dragon Dictation for iPad

Category of Assistive Technology:
The Dragon Dictation software would best be considered a Writing tool that supports students with motor-skill challenges.  

Description of How Technology Works:
The Dragon Dictation software is somewhat straightforward and fairly easy to use.  By selecting the icon (pictured above) from the iPad home screen, the application will start up.  After the application has opened a record button will appear.  After selecting the record button, the user can begin to speak near the microphone on the iPad or through a microphone on an Apple headset.  Once the user is done speaking they can click the button to stop the recording.  The software will then process the information and dictate the recorded audio into typed words.  The typed words can be copy and pasted into other applications on the iPad, including mail which could be useful for the dissemination of notes.  

Which of the Universal Design for Learning principles might be facilitated by this technology?
This piece of AT can certainly be considered a different way for students to express knowledge.  For example, many students may have a difficult time writing some of their ideas down but feel much more comfortable simply speaking about their thinking.  This piece of technology will certainly help students literally get their ideas down on paper. 

What types or groups of students might benefit from the use of this technology?  For what learning goals might it be most effective?
One of the major groups that would benefit from this technology is students who have difficulties with motor skills and simply cannot use a keyboard or pencil.  Yet another group that this could be helpful with is students who have hearing impairments.  If a teacher or aide is able to use the dictation software, the student can simply read what is said.  Finally, as mentioned above, this piece of AT will help with students that have learning disabilities that stop them from simply getting their thoughts out of their head and down in writing.


One goal that this could certainly be helpful with is with the writing process.  Not to reiterate a point too many times, but there are a large amount of students that simply have a difficult time brainstorming ideas for a written piece.  If they could simply sit there and record every single thought that comes out of their mind and then review them afterwards, they would certainly be much further along in the writing process.

Do you have any concerns or reservations about this technology?
The biggest reservation with this piece of technology is that the purchase of an iPad may be a little cost prohibitive.  While the application is itself is free, the $499 price tag of the iPad itself may be a little steep.  Another concern is the classroom management that comes along with this software.  Monitoring that students are using this properly will be incredibly important.  The final concern I have with this piece of AT is that the dictations are not always the best.  You must speak clearly and concisely in order for the software to work properly.    
Any other comments, suggestions, or recommendations you might make to a teacher contemplating the use of this assistive technology?
This technology is great and while it seems to be in the somewhat early stages, it certainly shows promise to grow into a powerful tool.

A Day in the Life...

Hey there! 
My name is Nick Perigo and I'm a student at Western Washington University.  Here at Western I am currently working to earn my Washington State teaching certificate.  In order to get a better idea of who I am I would love to share a quick look into what a typical summer day is like for me.

After waking up around 7:30a, I get a bowl of my favorite cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and watch some sports programming on my television. 

Once I'm caught up on all the latest sporting news and scores I like to read over the online edition of my local news paper (www.bellinghamherald.com).  I also like to read National and International news (www.bbc.com). 
At around 8:30a I shower and begin getting ready for work. 

I arrive to work around 9:00a.  I currently work at the Boys & Girls Club where I am the athletics coordinator.  Pretty much what that means is that I help run different sports leagues for kids between the ages of 6 and 18.  Some of the sports I run include, volleyball, basketball, football, and baseball.

Around, 5:30p I'll leave work and swing by my house to get ready to head to baseball practice.  I help coach a baseball team for 14 year old boys, the team name is the Northwest Rebels.

After practice, I'll usually come home and eat some dinner and watch a movie with my roommate or play some video games with friends.

Finally, around 11:30p or 12:00a I will lay down and go to sleep.  Of course I'll brush my teeth first!
In order to give you a better idea of who I am, I've created a picture made out of words.  Please see it below:

One more thing, I would love to show you a map of where I'm from.  I'm from the town of Bellingham, WA, which is where I have lived my entire life!


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Thanks for reading!  I look forward to reading your feedback!