Strengths and Weaknesses

It has been said that "learning is a lifetime process". This thought sums up how I feel about technology, I have learned some but it will be a lifetime process. As I was taking the UNI survey and reading over the NETS I realized I have some knowledge , thanks to this class, but there is still this huge mountain to climb where technology is concerned. I am determined to reach the top.

I am not yet an expert on any part of technology because I think there is much to learn. I can always do better. The technology standards and UNI gave me a pretty good idea of where I stand. The only areas I really feel like I do sufficiently well are using the World Wide Web to access information, and using the internet and e-mail to communicate with others. I do remember when I had to go to the library to do my homework. I know what an inconvenience it was. I use the World Wide Web extensively because it is a dream to have the world at your fingertips in the comforts of your own home. I also use e-mail, facebook, and gmail to communicate with others. It amazes me that I can send an e-mail to someone in Chile and they get it in an instant. I think another area I would do sufficiently well is teaching, learning and curriculum from the NETS. My UVU teachers use technology to teach and they all stress using technology in the classrooms. I have a strong belief just as NETS points out that using technology develops students' higher order skills and creativity so this is important to me.

There are many technology aspects to work on and become more familiar with. One of the most important areas on the NETS is demonstrating continually growth. If I don't keep up with technology it will pass me up and I will not be an effective teacher. One of my goals is to keep up with the current and emerging technologies. In order to keep up with the the latest technology I will take the Tech Tutor Seminar by Jerry Liao of Infochat. This will teach me about the latests tools and gadgets I can use in education. Another area I would like to learn more about is from the UNI survey, the awareness of resources for adaptive assistive devices for students with special needs. I will need to know about these devices since more special needs students are being mainstreamed in the regular classroom. One of my goals is to learn about these devices. I will take Kathy Schrocks Training online Project that provides information on assistive technology applications to help students with disabilites in elementary classrooms. The website is found at http://atto.buffalo.edu. I better get my flag to mark my spot on top of the mountain because it is steep but I have the tools to help me climb.