Blog #4

 During the tour, I learned that there are a lot of different ways to utilize technology in a classroom to stimulate learning. Seeing tools that have been modifyed for specalized learning, such as the lego's, helped me see how to properly integrate technology in a classroom. One tool I could see myself using in my own classroom is the Clear Touch smart board. I especially liked the fact that it can be layed flat so that four people can work on it at the same time. This would help for making fun group projects!

I find social media to be a positive tool for my early experience for my Personal Learning Network. I have interacted with educators, future teachers, and content creators who share lesson ideas and fun class activities for students on Instagram and other social media sources. Their posts give me helpful insight on possible lessons and just the day in the life as a teacher. Specifically, I think that Pinterest will be helpful in my future career because of all the organizational tips and class decor inspiration I can use. 

Growing up, I have been to both a digitally rich and poor school. In my early elementary years, my school did not have the funds or the right focus on introducing technology to classroom. Flash forward to high school where they provided chromebooks for us, I feel as if I was slightly underprepared for using so much technology in the classroom. This was especially true during COVID. During this time was the first real time in school where I was using the chromebook every day to attend class. Most of the time, google meet would not work for me and I missed out on a lot of school, however it did  support my learning about using technology resources. Additionally, platforms such as Microsoft were not available for me until college. A lot of my professors require work to be done strictly through MS, which is disadvantageous for me as I do not have a lot of experience with that platform. Hopefully in the future, more schools will have Microsoft platforms available for students so that they could start practicing for college and the work force.