Week 2 Learning Journal

“Pedagogical beliefs go deeper than technological capability or accessibility; beliefs define how teachers teach both with and without technology”
Ertmer, Addison, Lane, Ross, & Woods, 2001

When students use technology in my classroom I have several cognitive objectives. I want my students to be comfortable with a variety of digital tools. I try to reinforce basic skills with the younger students such as inserting USB flash drives, using the keyboard, logging in using passwords, and finding folders on the desktop. I strive to give older students an appreciation and understanding of Microsoft Office tools, digital cameras, and video cameras. I want a student to be handed an assignment and say to himself, “I could do this better, faster, and more creatively by using Power Point or Publisher”. Overall I would like students to have a grasp of the technology I can make available to them and a comfort with the idea of using brand new digital tools.
Along with cognitive objectives I have for my students, I’m concerned with the affective outcomes when students use technology. I want my students to feel a sense of community with their classmates and teachers. Technology cannot replace the connections they develop in a classroom setting and the benefits that can be gained with working collaboratively on a project. I think the key to technology is the integration of it into the teaching experience. Students still need verbal encouragement, hand written comments, and the experience of physical experimentation and play. Our students need to be skilled in the use of digital tools but it’s also important that they develop good social skills and be able to interact with their peers. Technology does give some otherwise socially challenged students an area to excel. And these students may have a more positive outlook on school because they find success in this area. In both cases it is important for the teacher to be defining how technology best works in the classroom.