As a stay-at-home mom to my nine month old son, I find it fascinating to watch my son grow and develop before my eyes. He is curious about everything! He is especially curious about how and why things work. What I find amazing is how drawn he is to technology. He has his own remote on which he loves to chew and push buttons. Phones, computers, televisions, and cameras are all "toys" to him. Granted, the lights and sounds grab his attention first, but then he enjoys seeing the outcome of a pushed button.
In contrast to my son's keen interest, I often see teachers afraid to experiment with technology. Both young and old teachers shy away from new technology. I think this is partly rooted in fear of trying something new. This is odd to me since students clearly enjoy the time they spend on computers and relish the challenge of new projects. As seen with my son, there is a natural curiosity. However, some teachers let their own insecurities stand in the way of developing new and interesting projects using technology.
To be honest, I sometimes put learning new technology on a backburner when I was teaching. Withough professional development or some sort of help using new programs, I was not very willing to try something new right away. However, my third graders jumped at the chance to help me use my SmartBoard. Having been exposed to them in second grade, my students already knew how to use certain functions and often shared ideas for other uses. I learned from my students that I do not have to have all the answers all the time. Through this experience, my students helped me problem solve with technology.
During this class, I hope to gain greater confidence using different technologies. In this way, I may better integrate technology into my future classroom. As demonstrated by my son and my third graders, children are curious about and excited by technology.
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