Being new to the field of education, there is so much that I want to learn. I completed my undergrad in English Literature and Social Justice at St. John's University, so while the campus and its environment is familiar to me, the Education department is not. I am in the TESOL program, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and when I was signing up for courses, I was very interested to see the 7266 course pop up. When I was growing up and going to school in Texas, the vast majority of my teachers integrated the use of technology into their classrooms for students starting at a young age. I remember that there was always excitement whenever a teacher announced that the class would be spent in the computer lab. Many of my teachers were great at finding fun and educational games online, such as those meant to help students improve their vocabulary by having them type unfamiliar words against a clock and then explaining the definitions. Students would become competitive and try to beat their friends by typing words faster, thus obtaining more definitions. Such games that involved the use of computers were always favorites amongst me and my young friends.
Because I had such a great educational journey intertwined with the use of technology, I want to learn how to better teach with it in my own eventual classroom. When I was studying abroad in Rome, Italy, I spent time volunteering with kids whose teachers said they required homework help and mentoring. I found that whenever I brought my computer and helped the children practice typing their vocabulary words and then discuss their meaning with them, they were much more receptive to what I was teaching than on the days I left my laptop at home. It seemed that I was able to witness the power of technology first-hand, and that my own experiences with it in the classroom as a student had come full circle as I was able to pass that original excitement on to students of my own.
The next step for me after graduate school will be to teach abroad in Vietnam, so I truly have the goal in mind to learn as much as I can from this course before moving thousands of miles away. I hope to inspire my future students and keep them both excited and motivated to learn with technology in the classroom. I cannot wait to learn innovative educational programs online and with other forms of technology.
It's great to hear your positive outcome of using digital technology at a young age in a classroom environment. Children in other countries have a fascination with learning and especially when it involves the western culture. When I lived in Korea the children were so eager to learn and interact with Americans. Unfortunately many of them don't have access to the advanced technology we do. Utilizing these tools can be to our great advantage, especially overseas.
ReplyDeleteYou will be a valuable asset to the children in Vietnam.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteYou have BIG plans for yourself, you are on the start to an exciting journey! This past year I student taught as part of my undergraduate requirement to become a certified teacher and I agree that students become more engaged in learning when technology is intertwined with instruction. In my experience I have noticed that students become more focused and interested when the material is presented in new innovative ways that grasp their attention. Utilizing innovative technologies will be helpful for both teaching in the U.S and Vietnam, children everywhere are curious to learn and it is our job as teachers to make the learning enjoyable through the use of technology.
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