I am currently working toward certification in elementary and special education. After I began working in a home for people with disabilities, called Harbor House Ministries, I fell in the love with serving and helping people with special needs. So 4 years ago I began my journey to being a special education teacher.
I have been taking my time and doing some traveling and mission work on the way, which is why it is taking me so long! 2 years ago I worked in a school in Uganda for a short time. Last year I went to Costa Rica to do missionary training for 3 months and then spent 2 months traveling through Holland and France as a missionary.
I am in love with adventures, serving people, Latino culture, one specific Latino man I met in Costa Rica, and Jesus.
As for technology used in the classroom, I have seen many types used in the different places I have been. I began my own experience with technology in school with paper and pencil, overhead projectors, and floppy discs. Then PowerPoint came to be and our minds were blown! However I have seen much more over the years such as Smart Boards, Elmos, iPads, etc. From my experience with this technology, I believe it is important to recognize that they have all been useful in presenting and sharing information and although the newer technology seems so much easier and faster, it is really performing the same functions that the others have done. A teacher must plan how they will use the technology to benefit the student's learning. For example, I have experienced the usefulness of paper and pencil when trying to memorize or remember information. Writing out the information has been proven to help the brain remember it!
A school that I have worked in that I have seen a lot of new technology is the Ottawa Area Center. It is a school for special needs in which case technology comes in very useful!
Celeste,
ReplyDeleteYour experience and adventures in other parts of the world is pretty incredible. I went to Africa this past summer and taught there for a month so I can definitely relate. Traveling and experiencing life outside of the United States is truly amazing. Experiencing things like this are definitely life changing and are memories that will never be forgotten. I also am a little behind on my education path. I am taking 6 years to finish, but I am happy with the things I have experienced along the way.
I agree with what you say about a paper and pencil being useful in a classroom. I definitely think that technology is useful and can offer countless benefits to students, but I also think that it is most effective in moderation.
I enjoyed reading your blog post and learning a little bit more about you and your experiences with technology in the classroom!
-Alexandra Stam