Before I took this course, I had a vague idea of some of the technology "out there in the cloud". But after the last week or so of investigating available tools, apps, etc., I am literally blown away by all the different things I've discovered. I am also fascinated by the fact that they are available "free of charge" and only require establishing an account in order to access them. It seems like I should be paying for such powerful tools!
I wish I had grown up with more technology, so that I could feel it was more a normal part of my life - something I was naturally comfortable using. It is definitely a learning curve, and I am finding that I really need to adjust my perception of technology, my comfort level with trying new things, and my tenacity in trying to solve technological "problems".
Technology seems so natural to my students! I need to keep in mind that they have been surrounded by it, and they absorb knowledge and procedures very easily and readily. Of course, technology that I took for granted as a child my own parents were amazed with and had to learn to use as well. I guess in some ways, there's "nothing new under the sun". And these new technologies will become old-fashioned to future generations, too.
The question for this project is, which direction do I want to take, and what aspect will I want to focus on? I have enjoyed gathering all the information, and find that I go off in different directions, depending on my interest in something. I just need to try and narrow my focus to a particular area. Being a kindergarten teacher, I have tended to tailor my projects to that grade level, but I'm finding that there are more technological possibilities for the older students, due to their more mature skills and abilities.
Whatever direction I head in, I hope that I will be inspired to create a presentation that is unique. Ideally, I would like it to be useful, thought-provoking and visually effective, or maybe fill a niche that hasn't been addressed. Not a tall order, of course :)! I better get started!
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Ahhhh, the hardest part: narrowing the focus. I appreciate your thought processes and your approach to finding the right project. I'll suggest to you what I often say to my wife when we are discussing where to eat dinner out, "This is not going to be our last meal, lets just pick a place and enjoy the food."
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher of young children you are also an important parenting coach... perhaps that will allow you to use some more sophisticated tools.