I have the fortunate opportunity to be a part of a school community that has many technology resources.  In my classroom, I have a document camera, a projector, a laptop, a desktop computer, speakers, and 6 iPads that ‘belong’ to my class.  I also have the option of signing out a class set of iPad minis.

I have tried to integrate technology into my practice by using it to enhance my lessons, as well as allow students to use it for research.  Before I ask my students to use a certain website or look something up, I first research and find which websites are suitable and factual. As my inquiry project progressed, I found information that suggested that we, as teachers, must first familiarize ourselves with the technology and resources we want our students to interact with.  I have found this to be very true while on my practicum. But I have also come to realize that the students themselves are a huge resource! They have had the opportunity to explore with various modes of technology, and as such, are well versed.  If I am teaching myself how to use a new form of technology, I ask the students if they have ever used it or tried it.  They love to teach me new things and how things work.  I have also found that even if I do know how something works, asking my students to show me allows me to see how much they know and where I should begin my instructions.

For one of my lessons, I had initially devoted a whole block of time to showing my students how to use book creator.  That was until I discovered that many of them are pros when it comes to book creator.  Instead, I was able to focus my lesson on what the subject matter and I had an extra block of time to use to my advantage!

One area where I will always do my homework before allowing students to engage with technology is when I ask the students to research a certain topic.  You can type a single word into google and it shows you thousands of websites that offer snippets of the information you are looking for.  A lot of this information is great, but there is also a lot that is not appropriate for students.  Because of this, I have made sure to do the research myself and ask students to use specific websites, rather than just let them browse the thousands of links that google provides!