Muller-Technology Teaching Philosophy

Technology Teaching Philosophy

Todays generation of students has grown up with access to technology wherever
they go. They use technological devices to communicate, entertain, and for productivity
in their everyday lives. I feel that sometimes people get too caught up in the social
aspect of technology that they arent using it for best reasons. As an educator, it is our
job to prepare our students to become a successful citizen. Schools are doing their
best in integrate technology into their classrooms, but staff members arent using it to
the full potential. As an educator, if you expect your students to use technology with
their learning, you must be able to show them some of the benefits and how to use it.
We are putting the technological devices into the students hands expecting them to use
it as a learning tool, but we arent preparing and showing them the benefits it can have
on their education. Teachers should take the time themselves to get familiar with the
devices they will expect their students to use, and to think of ways to enhance their
teaching. We must show our students how to use technology successfully to help them
develop into successful citizens.
I am a Kindergarten teacher in a rural school and this is the first year that our
Kindergarten/Preschool building has technology for student use. We have a mobile cart
of about 30 iPads and our students receive 30 minutes of iPad instruction every week.
With the weekly instruction we are giving our students exposure to different ways they
can use the iPads rather than just the game access they might have at home. Lindsay
Daugherty(2014) stated in her article, Early Education Plays Role in Bridging the
Digital Divide that,Integrating technology into early childhood education means that
children may have access to a wider range of opportunities for learning. As a teacher I

Muller-Technology Teaching Philosophy

want my students to know that there are other ways to use an iPad rather than just
games. The different activities the students are exposed to during this time, transitions
into other parts of our day where students can use the ideas they learned to enhance
their learning. While giving the students this technology time, we are building a great
foundation to what we hope will form into a successful technology-filled education.
While the technology teacher gives the students an introduction to how to use an
iPad successfully, it is my job to follow up on it and show students how to use it in the
classroom. As stated by Ulrich Boser (2013) in the article, Are Schools Getting A Big
Enough Bang for Their Education Technology Buck? technology can create a more
personalized material and reach a variety of learners. As an educator, that is what you
are always striving to do. With the addition to technology to my classroom, I am always
trying to make connections with my learners. Recently in my classroom, I have used
the app, ChatterPix for Kids, to allow my students to record themselves reading then
play it back for them to listen to. The students are having a great time using the
technology in the classroom, but they are also able to hear the mistakes they are
making when reading. The collections of readings is also a great way for myself to
show parents how their student is doing in the classroom.
Another way that I am using technology in the classroom is through a variety of
web-based sites that allow for students to become involved with the lesson. Currently
this is happening through just a projection screen with myself using my iPad to use
Reflector to project it up on my school, but I hope to eventually have a SMARTboard in
my classroom for more interaction. The website offer a variety of subjects which appeal
to a variety of learners. One that my students really enjoy is the website

Muller-Technology Teaching Philosophy

www.ABCya.com, for a review session of our Math topics. As a class, we go through

the interactive games to review the skills that we have discussed. Once students have
a grasp of the topic, I allow for them to grab an iPad and use the ShowMe app, to
record themselves explaining how to solve a problem to a classmate. The students love
how they are able to play teacher for the day and it is a great assessment tool for myself
to use.
Including technology into a classroom allows for the teacher to enhance their
teaching strategies. As we all know, not all students learn the same or at the same
pace, so it is our job as educators to make sure that we are making accommodations for
our students. Lisa Wahl and Julie Duffield (2005) state in their article, Using Flexible
Technology to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners: What Teachers Can Do taking a
differentiated approach to instruction means making accommodations by tailoring
teachings to students strengths. Technology allows for that to happen. Teachers are
able to tier their instruction and assignments to meet the needs of all students. Some
students might need different examples of how to solve a problem, and could use Kahn
Academy App to search for an example. Others might need more challenging problems
to keep them interested in a topic. With the addition to technology to the classroom, it
can be used as a learning tool for students, while the teacher goes around and checks
on other students. Adding a variety of strategies and learning tools to the classroom,
allows for you to each the variety of learners in your classroom.
Technology is making its mark on society today. It is everywhere and used
across a variety of occupations. As educators, we are preparing our students to
become successful citizens in the future. Giving an abundance of resources and

Muller-Technology Teaching Philosophy

strategies during the time that they are in our classrooms, will only help them out in the
long run. Along with our students learning, teachers must be willing to learn how to
enhance teaching strategies too. Finding new tools, resources, technologies, and
strategies allows for teachers to continue their own learning to help prepare their
students to be successful citizens of the future.

References
Daugherty, Lindsay (2014, March 3) Early Education Plays Role in Bridging the Digital
Divide. Retrieved January 20, 2015 from
http://www.rand.org/news/press/2014/03/03.html

Boser, Ulrich. (2013, June 14). Are Schools Getting a Big Enough Bank for Their

Muller-Technology Teaching Philosophy

Education Technology Buck? Retrieved January 21, 2015 from

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2013/06/14/66485/areschoolsgetting-a-big-enough-bang-for-their-education-technology-buck/

Duffield, Julie and Lisa Wahl (2005) Using Flexible Technology to Meet the Needs of
Diverse Learners: What Teachers Can Do. Retrieved January 21, 2015 from
http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn-05-01.pdf