Digital Badge #B

I often wondered if I am the right person to be a teacher and an educator. Would I be the “perfect teacher” with the “perfect class” who is tech savvy and knows what her students want? Well, in a perfect world that would be so, but given that we do not live in a perfect world, my class would be “almost perfect!” As we all know, being a teacher is not as easy as it sounds. Even though it may come with plenty of frustrations, teaching children can be a very rewarding experience. Teaching it is a career that continues to evolve with each class and each year that passes. If we want to make a difference in our student’s lives, we need to move with the times and continue growing ourselves. 

As our book state, “teaching is a career that matters to everyone-students, families, employers, and society as a whole.” We inspire and enrich the lives of our students by making an unwavering impact on their future. Teachers are more than educators to their students; they are friends, mentors, and guides. We are risk takers who encourage creativity and growth in each child. We make a lasting impression by empowering our students with the knowledge, so they came become self-sufficient adults. As we teach, we have to respond to the needs and lives of our students. Society needs good teachers, and the success of our students depends on the quality of the teaching.

  

Perhaps I fall in the group of technology innovators that incorporates computers and other technologies in the classroom, knows the basics, but is willing to do more. I am not afraid to learn and use technology as long as it promotes enthusiasm by the students, and they are applying what they are learning. I welcome the idea of having a blog or a class wiki in order to communicate with students and parents outside of the classroom. I can see how this would be useful in so many ways.  Providing a list of homework assignments for the week, among other important information about the classroom would be useful to parents and students. That is something I would definitely use in my teaching, a form of communication to accommodate parent’s busy schedules. 

Robert Frost wrote, “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” That is what educators are meant to be, motivators to awake the senses and instill knowledge. Like any vocation, teaching has its obstacles, but we have to be resilient with the challenges that each day brings so we can impact every child in a positive way. Having the ability to interact and connect with a group of students every day is truly a privilege. I plan to learn more about technology in the classroom and how to utilize it to enhance ways to motivate and challenge students with their academic skills. By integrating technology in the classroom, I hope to prepare students better for their future and our complicated world.  

Resources 

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Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. (n.d.). Archived: Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Retrieved September 6, 2014, from https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies

Fried, K. (2013, October 16). 21 Reasons To Quit Your Job And Become A Teacher. The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kartrina-fried/teacher-job_b_4101468.html

Maloy, R.W., Verock-O’Loughlin, R.E., Edwards, S.A., Woolf, B.P. (2014) Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Upper Saddle River: Pearson