EDC3100ICT & Pedagogy----------------*Introduction*

JoleenHiggin

sU1003

939

COMPUTERS ROCK!!

A Little About Me:

Hello, my name is Joleen Higgins. I am 25 years of age, and I am currently in the 3rd year of my Bachelor of Education specialising in Primary.

I have been involved in working with children since finishing school in 2003. I have over 8 years experience in childcare and am currently a Nanny for a wonderful family of 6.

Although it still seems a little surreal, I am very excited to be finally taking the steps towards achieving my dream of becoming a primary school teacher, and look forward to this course, focusing on ICT’s in the classroom.

With more group assignments on the way, I look forward to workingwith, and discussing the course info throughout this semester, with manyof you…….. Happy Studying!

What are your previous experiences

with technology?

In both my past 2 practical

components I have worked in Year 5

classrooms. There was so much time

dedicated to the students using ICT’s,

I was quite surprised. They got to use

the computer lab, library online

catalogues, laptops shared between

classes, as well as digital cameras for

various tasks and exchanging their

work/programs with own USB sticks.

Every classroom now has the addition

of the interactive whiteboards, which

were a lot of fun to use, and the

students taught ME a lot of things as

well

ICT’S IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM? I totally support the use of ICT’s in the classroom, even if I didn’t, being a teacher these days without the use of ICT’s would be impossible. It is so true that time is passing us by so fast. I can remember being in Grade 7 and being introduced to the use of big chunky laptops in groups, it was a fun, new way to bring a different view into the world for writing, spelling and homework. Looking back on those times, it is clear everywhere you look, that changes have constantly been made and we are getting accustomed to it everyday. For example, we check emails instead of the mailbox, we message friends on smart phones instead of talking, we transfer money on an IPad instead of in a bank and now, most convenient of all, we study online instead of in a classroom. All I can say is…. Amazing!Although I do have to add, the only upsetting thing is the fact that I wont get to write on blackboards (it isjust a thing of the past ). But I amexcited about the benefits of using ICT’sin classrooms. (Let’s just hope all schoolsget the funding and support needed!)

Personally, I love using ICT’s, and do everyday! I

like how even though people may have the

same technology as me, I still get to show my own personality through the use of colours, fonts and clipart in my work.

Expectations:

Basically my expectations for this classare to gain even more useful informationabout the many different ways and uses oftechnology in the classroom from teachers,peers, my prac school and students.

The whole worlds revolves around the use of technology now, it is time that we all embrace it, not disregard it..

Would love to learn more about the

many new founded web 2.0 tools and

find out better ways to use and

incorporate them to my studies and

future classroom.