Tech+Integration

Watching this video of Forest Lake Elementary School in Columbia, SC showed me a world of teaching with which I was unfamiliar. There were two main themes that struck me. The first was the concept of team teaching coupled with collaborative meetings. These meetings enabled teachers to design a curriculum that best served the student body. Teachers would get together to compare notes, provide resources and in particular, support new teachers in the first years of their career. Additionally, I was impressed by the technological resources available and used in the school. Teachers had access to a number of tools, including electronic tablet computers, which I had never seen used in a classroom but think is a great idea. The teachers also highlighted important web sites and web resources during their weekly collaborative meetings. **__My Reflections on integrating technology into the classroom:__** Were it up to me, I would put a laptop, Ipad or some other portable, internet based computer into the hands of every student in the country. However, since I do not have that authority or the resources to provide that, I’ll start by saying that in the 21st century, utilizing technology is vital to the education of every student. I will ask students to utilize the computers we have to explore new themes on the web, find supportive evidence for position papers and become connected to people around the world. Other than that, I will continue to lobby the school board, congress and those with the resources and influence to do so to turn Colorado into the first state with 100% of its students receiving computers upon the start of their educational careers.
 * __Teachers Support Differentiated Learning Through Professional Development and Collaboration__**