Role of Technology in My Personal Life

Technology simplifies my life both personally and professionally.  In addition to being a full time teacher and mother of three, I own a veterinary practice with my husband.  So I basically have three full time jobs and if it weren’t for technology each of them would require well over 40 hours per week.  Technology has allowed me to multi-task due to remote access.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many GREAT aspects of technology, but for me remote access is key.  I can attend a sporting event and watch my children and while waiting I can access email, Powerschool or my veterinary clinics remote desktop and work on files or whatever is needed.  I can go on vacation and make sure that things are going smoothly at the veterinary clinic as well as transact necessary business. I usually don’t take schoolwork on vacation because I vacation on breaks. 

There is a downside to this and that is, if you are workaholic like me, sometimes you can never disconnect.  That is why I have had to come up with rules like no texting, cell phones, ipads, or laptops at the dinner table.  I’ve had to force myself to limit the amount of time I spend remotely connected when I am away.  My ultimate goal is to go on a completely technology free vacation, but I’m not a camper so staying away from the internet and phone would be a challenge.  I do scuba dive and at least when I’m underwater I don’t have the internet, but I do have a dive computer so even in the ocean I find I love technology.  Learning to balance my love and dependence is challenging and something I constantly have to work on.  But I have been happily married for 27 years and have three great well-adjusted college aged children who all love technology.  So I must be doing something rightJ

Philosophy of Education

Although I am a Science teacher, I have come to learn that being a teacher is not about the subject you teach.  It is about the students you teach and how you teach them. It is about teaching students to think for themselves.   Today’s students are tomorrow’s future.  They deserve the best that society has to offer.  As a teacher, I believe it is my job to offer my best.  In partnership with the student, parents, and the school, I believe all students can learn when taught well. 

            I believe in order to successfully teach students to be life-long learners a teacher must also be a life-long learner.  Learning didn’t stop with the completion of my Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree.  It continues both formally with further coursework and reading in current educational practice as well as readings in the ever changing world of Science.  Even more important than the formal learning opportunities are the informal ones.  The opportunities to be reflective about my own teaching and what works and what can be improved are what really motivate me.  I can’t expect my students to want to continue to learn and be challenged unless they see me continuing to learn and being challenged.

            Science may not be for everyone, but everyone needs science. As a science teacher, I believe it is my responsibility to prepare students for the world and their future, and understanding science is one of the keys to their preparation for becoming a contributing member of our 21^st Century Global Community.  Students require skills which inherently fall within the study of science and technology.  I believe the role of technology in the classroom should be two fold.  The first is to simplify tasks which has always been the role of technology in society.  The second is to be a resource for research and discovery which is essential for true scientific inquiry to take place.  Through scientific inquiry students learn to question, use field study and lab work to test their hypothesis by designing experiments and investigating questions. This allows the student to take responsibility for their own learning.  From these investigations students will become more proficient in making observations, solving problems and forming theories based on their research. These scientific skills are essential for use in learning both now and in the future.  And hopefully in the process, my students will discover just how much fun science can be.

Reflections on Tech Integration101

·  What are you most excited to learn about?

This is my first year teaching in a 1:1 setting and I am really excited to gain additional tools to make this a true learning experience for my students.

·  In which areas might you serve as a leader or "expert" for your coursemates?

I have always been successful with classroom management and prior to teaching science I taught computer courses and feel confident in my management skills in this setting. I know there are always new ideas and things to learn, but I know I have some things I can share.

I also feel very confident with inquiry learning.  I have had significant training in inquiry learning especially as it relates to science and STEM and feel I have a good grasp of this type of learning environment. I love inquiry learning in the science classroom.

I currently am using the Flipped Classroom Model in my Advanced Science Classroom and love the freedom and time that it frees up for doing labs and inquiry instruction during the class period.  I know I have a lot to learn as this is only my second year of flipping, but I really have found it to work well in this particular setting.

·  In which areas will you need to spend more time exploring and getting ideas from your coursemates?
I don’t want to just use technology for curriculum management and to move towards a paperless classroom.  I want to get additional ways to enrich the curriculum without overwhelming the curriculum.  There are so many awesome resources out there that sometimes it almost is too much to determine what works and what doesn’t.  I look forward to hearing from others what is working for them and what is worth investing my time and my students’ time in learning.