Wells Edu 315 Final Paper
Wells Edu 315 Final Paper
Wells Edu 315 Final Paper
Technology is a huge part of our student’s lives. On a day to day basis one will hear their
students talk about their latest gadget like their iPod, iPad, Xbox, Fortnite game, and personal
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computer. Children of all ages for the most part are using technology in some way. It is a large
part of their everyday lives and their conversations. The students in my practicum placement
enjoy using the chromebooks in the classroom for school work and listening to music.
Technology is constantly changing and will continue to change and be a part of our
classrooms. As a young adult I have seen the dramatic growth technology has made in my
lifetime. While it is more drastic for the older generations it has become a huge part of my life as
well. As an elementary schooler we did not use laptops. We would make the occasional trip to
the computer lab and we had a few desktops in our classroom that we were able to use during
free time but it is not like today. My teachers used the overhead projector with the clear sheets
and the dry erase vis-a-vis markers. This was awesome technology then. As I transitioned into
high school that is really where I can remember smartboards being a huge deal. Every single
classroom had one and it was always a pleasure when the teacher would let you solve a problem
on the board. As a high schooler, many of my classmates got school issues iPads where they
could do their homework and their assignments and activities were posted on e-school. In
previous practicum placements I saw students in Kindergarten regularly using iPads as a source
of math games and other educational tools. Teachers can really use this technology to their
advantage within their classrooms as they should but teachers need to know how to effectively
Teachers are not born with the knowledge on how to integrate technology effectively in
their classroom it is something they have to learn. In order to help our teachers help our students,
teacher need to be provided with the schools to use technology. Schools can be sure that teachers
have “tools and methods for teaching and for use with young children, hands-on opportunities to
play with technology, and opportunities to use technology to learn how to use technology”
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(Donohue, C. & Schomburg, R., 2015). It is not enough to stock the teachers room with
chromebooks and have them use it effectively. Teachers need extensive training on what is
appropriate practice for technology in the classroom. They may learn these tools by doing that is
The students in my practicum use a wide variety of tools every day. A few popular tools
are google slides and google docs where they complete assignments. The students used google
docs to write a report on an explorer than interested them. They used the internet to look up the
required information on their explorer like their name, birthday, death, and significance of their
travel. The students used google docs to type in the information that they learned on their
internet searches. As a 4th grader I can remember doing a similar project except we did it at
home on our own, and I did not have access to a printer because they were still so new and high-
tech and I lived with my grandparents whom didn’t see a need for such equipment, I had to go to
The students in my practicum also use a website called Scratch for coding. They enjoy
creating scenes like of underwater places as well as adding animations to the characters in their
scene. The students in my class enjoy using chromebooks and use them as much as they can. My
teacher even lets them listen to instrumental music. For some it is more of a distraction because
they like to discuss with their classmates every song that they play. Also, even though it is
instrumental the students know all the words! Listening to music helps some students drown out
The students must be given direct instructions. Technology must be effectively integrated
into the curriculum. “Effective integration means that technology is used throughout the
curriculum and four key components of learning are supported: active engagement, participation
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(“Technology Integration”, 2007). It is not enough to allow the students to freely use the
technology. Students need direction with this as with everything.”When used intentionally and
appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and
development.” (NAEYC, 2017) Technology in the classroom can helps students learn a variety
of material. Teachers have it drilled in their heads from the beginning the importance of variety
in teaching since not all children learn effectively the same way. Technology can support certain
learners where hands on activities support others. It is important that the activities that the
Developmentally appropriate is a fancy way of saying activities and lessons and really
anything done inside a school setting fits the child’s age developmentally. “Its framework is
designed to promote young children’s optimal learning and development. DAP involves teachers
meeting young children where they are, both as individuals and as part of a group; and helping
each child meet challenging and achievable learning goals.” (Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds.,
2009) For example an elementary student should not be given free range on a computer they first
need to understand how they work. The students need a purpose as to why they are using the
specific tool, and it should meet their needs and be able to engage them and further them in
During my Fall 2018 semester at SUNY Cortland I learned the importance of having
technology in the classroom and how to meaningfully integrate it so that the students are able to
reach their full potential. Technology can help them better understand material. Technology
helps engage the students because let’s face it they love getting their hands on those
chromebooks and iPads. With technology in the classroom the students have access to a variety
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of resources at their fingertips. Technology can also assist students who have special needs.
There are so many tools that can help a student read texts that they must struggle with on their
own. This is perfect for a child who is visually impaired or one that may just have trouble
following along. Students can also be easily caught up on text if they were absent for example.
Technology also allows for teachers to interact with families in a way they couldn’t before.
There are sites out there like Edmodo that we used extensively this semester. This
website allows for parents, students, and teachers to interact. It is similar to a Facebook but more
developmentally appropriate. Teachers can post assignments and deadlines on this page. This
helps parents and students stay on the same track. There would be less room for children to say
“oh, there was no homework tonight” and show you their blank agenda that they may bring
home daily. Rather the parent can see for themselves the assignments that are required for the
student to complete. Edmodo would be a helpful tool for parents and teachers to keep in touch.
Families are so busy these days. Some may be juggling a couple of jobs and children and all the
other things that come along with living that calling on the phone or meeting in person is just not
As a future classroom teacher I have learned plenty of tools that I can integrate
effectively into my classroom. My ideal classroom would allow the students access to iPads or
chromebooks. We would also have a smartboard that I can use to engage the students in the
activities. Edmodo will be used as a resource to contact the families of my students. I would also
love to use things like iMovie or voicethread to allow my students the ability to be creative and
perhaps summarize lessons and what they learned from the material. I also like the idea of using
Kahoot as a way to check for understanding. Another great tool taught this semester was word
cloud. This is a creative way to create different shapes out of things like vocabulary words,
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spelling words, or even the student’s names/ It is important as a future teacher I also keep up
with the growth of technology by attending workshops to better understand how I can use this for
my students. There I will learn how to creatively and effectively use technology to enhance my
students success.
References
Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds. (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Early
Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, DC:
NAEYC. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/dap
Donohue, C. & Schomburg, R. (2015). Chapter 4. Teaching with Technology: Preparing Early
Childhood Educators for the Digital Age. In C. Donohue (Ed.), Technology and Digital Media in
the Early Years (p. 36-50). New York & London: Rougtledge.
National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] and the Fred Rogers
Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. (2012, January)]
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Technology and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs: What We’ve Learned from
Five Years of Research, Policy, and Practice
. Retrieved November 26, 2018 from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-
children.