Theme 3: Technology Description My technological artifact is a PowerPoint Presentation I made in May of my junior year.

I created it to accompany a grammar lesson I co-taught in ENG 305ATeaching Writing to the Adolescent Learner. The assignment was to choose a partner and create a lesson plan on an aspect of grammar, and then teach it to a secondary grade level of your choice. We chose Prepositions pitched at the 7th grade level. I made the PowerPoint to accompany our lesson and to provide a visual aid for the students. Analysis Effective teachers use technology appropriately to improve instruction and communication. With my PowerPoint Presentation I was employing the use of a Microsoft program and a computer. Both are forms of technology. While creating the presentation I took advantage of the special effects i could use to enhance my individual teaching style. Prepositions and prepositional phrases are a formula of words and ordering. Instead of writing everything out on the board manually, I was able to organize the material orderly and thoughtfully. I was also able to differentiate the differences between the noun, preposition, and following elements through different colors. Visually, the student could see the different components of prepositional phrases through color distinction. This PowerPoint was very effective because I was able to be specific with the content material and make key points obvious through various colors and font manipulation. All of the effectiveness was because of the technology of the computer and displaying it on a large screen through a projector.

Reflection I already feel that I have mastered the PowerPoint process and the things that I can utilize to make a presentation interesting and effective. I would like to explore other avenues of technology in the classroom besides the obvious presentations and the ability to show videos in class. There is much I dont know about smart boards and blogs for example. However, I know that smart boards are increasingly becoming the main type of board in classrooms, replacing the chalkboard and the white dry erase board. I think that it would be in my best interest to learn more about them and how I can take full advantage of them. Goals I realize that technology is here to stay and will only progress in its involvement in classrooms. I hope that I can enhance the classroom for the students with fun visuals and interactive activities via technology. However, I do not want technology to dominate my future classroom, only be used to improve productivity and enhance communication.