Tech+Integration

__**This is my essay on Tech Integration in the classroom.**__

The video, //How Differentiated Instruction and Formative Assessment Work at Forest Lake Elementary,// ( [] ) is a very interesting video that captures how technology can help improve student performance and engage children in the classroom. The teachers used technology like palm pilots and smart boards to help assess students to see what they need help in. Through the assessments, the teachers were able to personalize the curriculum for the students to help them in whichever subject they’re struggling in. The most encouraging part of the video was that students seemed like they didn’t even realize they were “working” in the classroom. They didn’t seem to show test anxiety like what is mostly seen in classrooms where paper and pencil are the norm in the classroom. I learned from the video that there are so many different types of software programs that there is something to interest almost every child. Deciding what type of software and what assignment is needed for each child can truly make a difference in their performance. The “Comic Life” software that was shown was very neat and I believe that type of software truly did motivate that child like the instructor said in the video. I believe technology is very important in classrooms today because technology is used everywhere and is practically unavoidable in everyday tasks. Teachers are educating the children of our future and if technology is a major part of how our future functions, then it is imperative that our children are taught with technology. Not only can technology help children with becoming engaged and in some instances aiding children with disabilities; using technology also helps children become more familiar with different programs and software which will only help them in the future with their careers. Teachers now a days are responsible for teaching children with disabilities in the general classroom and technology can help assist children with disabilities as well as other students. I plan on integrating technology in my classroom to help children try new ways of learning a subject and have more options of expressing themselves through their assignments. I also want to use technology to help the classroom become a small community that expresses and shares ideas with one another.