As an educator, my goal is to provide my students with the best learning environment possible. An environment where each student can explore higher order thinking, and where their learning is enriched with experiences that will last a lifetime. Working in a title 1 school most of my students lack experiences other students their age have. My vision is to be able to implement technology into my classroom that will provide the students with the tools they need to achieve that higher order thinking and to supplement experiences they are missing out on. 

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             Being in a low-income area, many of my students have never been on vacation, have not visited many towns and only know their normal every day surroundings. By implementing technology in the classroom, I can help students to virtually experience things they might not see otherwise. One tool I have used in my classroom is the google earth tool.  In this tool, I can have students take a field trip to a city, a country, or even an amusement park. This allows students to see places they may not otherwise get to see in their lifetime due to being economically disadvantaged.  One lesson I planned using cross curricular instruction while using technology was assigning my students to plan a vacation to Disney world. Students were able to visit Disney world and explore the theme park through google earth. The students then used a few different websites to help gather costs for how much the trip would cost them. The students had to calculate their food, travel and amusement expenses for their trip, all while using the technology available to them. 

 

             Technology plays a major role currently. Growing up I spent much of my childhood outside. I did not have a cellphone until I was in high school, and I did not spend all day playing video games.  In today’s society, most children have used several different technology devices by elementary age. Children have cellphones, IPads, laptops and video games all of which are a shift in our culture compared to the last 20 years. 

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             Due to the major advancements in technology and the shift in culture where devices are now the norm, education in my opinion has no choice but to conform with societal norms. In my educational technology philosophy, I believe that there is not much of an option to opt out of technology use but to embrace it and implement it fully. Based on the studying I have done in ETEC 524 and hearing other perspectives, there are many benefits that students to achieve a growth mindset using technology. One of those options is the use of Eportfolios, which allows for life long and wide learning. With researching Dr. Dondlinger in her Folio Thinking and Learning I perceived students could publish their work, reflect and build upon what they are focusing on. With their portfolio being digital this is something they can refer to, and see where their understanding of a topic started and how it has grown. They can compare their understanding and achieve that deeper higher order thinking by reevaluating, and analyzing. Technology allows students to be challenged to create and develop their own sense of understanding upon a topic. 

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               Technology has an abundance of options and approaches that can be used in an educational setting. There are many apps that students can use to promote diversity and differentiation in products that were not able to be accomplished in the past. Many apps I use in the classroom that allow for creativity and differentiation include keynote, IMovie, and education galaxy. My favorite differentiation tool to use to track and measure progress in my students is education galaxy. In this app students can take a pre-assessment, which determines where the student struggles, what their moderate skills are in, and their strengths. Once students take the pre-assessment the app provides the students with an individualized plan through games and problems for students to practice the specific skills they need to improve on. 

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              For my current/future personal and professional philosophy, I hope to encompass all the aspects of education through a digital learning environment. I hope to provide students with a multifaceted approach of learning by providing students with the appropriate resources and tools to facilitate their learning to the highest and deepest understanding and extent.