Blog # 10

How will you acquire technology for your classroom?

Acquiring technology for my classroom has been a personal pursuit ever since I started teaching. I have always wanted technology in my classroom for my students to use. The last two years, I have made a big push for technology in my class and school. Last year I was in charge of creating the plan to get iPads and Apple TV’s for every teacher in my school. I personally made the budget and ensured that our schools’ wifi infrastructure would handle the load. This year I applied for numerous grants to get technology into my classroom. I received funding to purchase iPads for my classroom to be able to pilot and implement a flipped classroom for my students. This has opened a door of unlimited possibilities for my students. I now devise lesson plans that incorporate the use of technology for my students. I also received a STEM grant this year. With that money, I bought Sphero robotic balls where my students implement math strategies while learning to code. I constantly look for different ways to get more tools in my classroom (I have a long list) and will continue to do so as long as I teach. 

How does the use of technology impact your classroom management strategies?

After I received the technology I quickly realized that I needed to create strategies to manage my classroom when they were using the tech. Strategies for transitions, proper usage, and time management had to be implemented so my students knew exactly what I expected. One surprise that emerged as I integrated more technology in my classroom was the decline of classroom disruption that I experienced in other lessons. As student engagement went up, classroom disruptions and problems with management went down. An engaged classroom eliminates many problems that teachers experience today. My main focus is not to create management strategies as we use the tech and to manage our time effectively. 

Why use technology if you always need a backup plan?

Lessons that now use technology in my classroom are night and day different than lessons that used traditional indicator methods. I plan for engaging lessons that challenge students to create authentic real world experiences. Do my lessons go as planned? Not always. There have been many times were the technology did not work. My backup plans have now included a work around if the network is down. I have made sure that if I need to use my Apple TV to project my iPad, I no longer need the network to do it. I have also started to download locally all videos and internet content that I need. If the internet is not working, I can still access the content I need for my lessons. My new goal is to create backup plans that are as engaging without the technology.