Throughout my many placements in the College of Education at SVSU I have learned
that taking a fluid approach to education can be beneficial. If one is rigid and not open to
change one who does not want to adapt, then teaching can be a challenging profession.
All of my host teachers have taught me that anything can happen and being flexible in
you approach is the best way to go about planning your week. The more I have been
apart of the college of education, especially at my field placements, I have started to
move farther away from using technology in the classroom, though I realize that it is still
needed for student learning. For example, I was exposed to the fact that students will
use technology to abuse the privileges the school provides them with. For example, at
many districts, I have seen countless occasion of technology violations where students
are using technology- like their school computers in inappropriate ways. Additionally,
there always seems to be the problem of technology just not working for students
either. For example, at my last two placements- Hemlock and Kingston their personal
Chromebook cannot stay charged for the full day and students neglect to charge their
Chromebook when they are at home, so they show up to the school without a charged
computer.
From this course, I have learned that there are certain standards for technology
integration in the classroom. I know it is essential to try and integrate technology to help
students prepare themselves for a more online world. I was exposed to new websites
and apps from classmates and peers and I even learned more from my host teacher while
student teaching when taking this course. Again, my teaching philosophy when it comes
to technology has not changed too much. Try to embrace it when I can, but be weary of
its benefits, as students are already quite well versed in technology usage.