Blog Entry #1: Individual Technology Assessment

As an educator, what are your present strengths and weaknesses in technology? How do you plan to use your strengths? How do you plan to address the weaknesses?

I have been teaching in the elementary schools for eight years, but I have been learning my whole life. It amazes me to see that my first grade students are so confidant and comfortable with the computers in our classroom. I was nearly ten before I used one in school and all we had was the Oregon Trail. I would be in High School before I learned how to type and use things such as Word. And I was in College when the Web opened its doors to the public. College taught me most of what I know now, but I know that it had to be up to me to keep up with the changes in technology.
My most important strength would be that I am not afraid to use and explore the vast variety that there is in technology. I enjoy researching and learning about what works well and most importantly what is safe and age appropriate for my students. They are very eager to learn and it has been a great joy teaching them. I would say that they are my main reason for keeping up with the latest sources. However, my weakness that comes with that is that I always feel as though I am a step behind the technology world. Many times, there is already a new counterpart to the very thing that I am showing my students.
This is where my strength of patience and understanding with a readiness to envelop the newest advances has proven to be positive for me as well as my students. I have continued to take courses in technology that would help me be a better teacher. Courses such as Excel, Wiki, Video Conferencing, Power Points, Web Exploration are just a few examples of classes that I am enrolled in this summer through my school district. I believe that in order to be a good teacher, I need to also be a good student. Taking courses like these has been a wonderful refresher and positive source of information.
Another one of my strengths is my ability adapt to change. I think you have to be patient and flexible to accept the ever changing technological world. In saying this, I plan to work each day and week at researching about the newest developments and changes in technology that our growing world has to offer us.