Time To Shut It Down

I found this way too funny.

The great thing about technology today is that it's exciting for everyone that is using it - students and teachers alike are gaining valuable skills and learning in ways we never could before. 
Low tech, mid tech, high tech - it's all about finding the right tools for our students. The problem we are running into is that not all assistive technology is accessible. A recurring theme during the case study presentations on Saturday was frustration over the varying levels of availability of the desired/required technology (ahem, no wireless in a school? Please step up, HRSB). Despite all of these discrepancies of availability, everyone did a wonderful job with the students they followed, and it was so powerful to see the positive effects that came from all of us having the opportunity to work with these students to improve their learning experiences through the use of technology.

It's difficult to adequately explain what an impact apps such as Proloquo2Go are, and it's really exciting to think about all of the opportunities they will open up for our students. Students who didn't have a voice before do now, whether it's through an AAC device or because they've been given a new outlet for writing that doesn't have to involve paper and pencil.

My continuing goal is to remind myself to integrate technology with my teaching whenever possible, making a point to link the activities I plan with the technology I have available. It's easy to fall back on what I know, especially when I'm strapped for time and things are so busy. I've seen lots of teachers make using the newest technology available the norm in their classrooms, and I'm going to continue working toward that as well. As with most learning experiences, I valued the hands-on, doing aspects of this course the most. Not only was I able to discover and create with the different technologies we were exposed to, I could also use them with my students with ease, and what I haven't used yet I know I'll be able to use in the future. 

To end things off, here's one more TED talk. About Romo, a robot! Watch it, it's very cool.