Week 1, Blog 1, Technology Assessments

My Application and Evaluation of the Technology Assessments

According to the Technology Applications Inventory, I seem to be stronger in the areas of problem solving and communication than in foundations and information acquisition. This assessment surprised me greatly. If I had been asked which of the four my strong areas were, I would have chosen the two areas that I ranked lowest on. I am glad that I took the survey to show me not only the areas that need improving, but particularly the things that I do not understand, such as search strategies, storage systems and technology laws.

For the second assignment I took the SETDA Teacher survey, because my current position is as a teacher. This survey asked me about the technology that is available to me at my school, and how often and comfortable I feel with the equipment. My school has some technology equipment beyond the traditional classroom equipment. This includes smart boards and electronic handheld white boards. I feel comfortable with traditional technology in the classroom and use it daily, however, the more advanced technology that my school has provided has not been put to use to the highest degree because many of us, myself included, do not feel comfortable using it. While we could have more technology available at my school, I think the main area that we lack in is professional development to teach teachers how to utilize the instruments that are already available to us.

Our world, especially in the education field, is becoming more and more technologically advanced and more things require an accurate knowledge of how to use technology effectively and efficiently. As a teacher, advancements in technology are important as an educational tool, and for communication with stakeholders. I use technology in my classroom every day, with the use of PowerPoint notes and projectors to our classroom website that updates my students and their parents on important classroom announcements and due dates. As an administrator it is vitally important to understand and be the campus leader on implementing the use of technology effectively. Communication through technology is the most important aspect of an administrator to understand and utilize. This includes communication with all stakeholders, through email, websites, and more. I am a younger teacher, and I grew up with the ever-changing technology-based society, so I plan to keep learning and using technology in my profession as much as possible.