Looking back, looking ahead

     We are approaching the end of the technology in education course. Although it has not turned out to be what I expected when I signed up, I have made progress in my own technology skills. I was exposed to quite a few new tools, and I now feel more comfortable using them. I think my students are still much more adept at using technology, but I am able to navigate more tools now. I was not intimidated by my lack of experience in technology because I felt confident that my students would be able to use the technology based tools without me. I also have an excellent support system at school to help me implement projects that use technology.
     There are some tools that I think I will continue to use in the classroom. I will continue to follow various accounts on Twitter. I understand now its value for following the news in French speaking countries and sharing ideas and resources with teachers near and far. I also found Symbaloo to be a convenient way to organize resources for my students. My students have prepared projects with imovie, and now that I am more familiar with it I am sure I will continue to use it for projects.
     My skills for using technology have improved slightly, but I still find technology to be cumbersome and frustrating at times. I love the way it opens the world to us, but find it discouraging when it does not work as expected. This has confirmed for me that I am right to give my students some leeway when their ipads do not work as expected. Learning to use new technology has also reminded me of how difficult and disheartening school can be for some students. This has renewed my focus on my teaching skills and how I can create an encouraging environment for learning in the classroom. As technology evolves I will continue to look for new ways to integrate it into my curriculum, especially as a way for students to communicate in French.

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Stages of Technology Integration

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The stages of technology integration ring very true for me professionally. Macintosh computers were just reaching colleges when I was a student, and as a secretary for the math department I had easy access to a computer. I am grateful for this because I think I was introduced to computers at a young enough age to not be intimidated by them. Although I may resist technology in certain aspects of my life, I recognized from the beginning of my teaching career that technology has value, especially in teaching world languages.

Reflecting on my attempts to integrate technology into my teaching practices, I think I found the adaptation stage the easiest. In this stage I let students use technology for word processing and to drill vocabulary. I was substituting work on the computer for work done by hand. It did not involve any creativity, and the uses of technology were obvious. The stage I found the most difficult is the stage where I am currently, the innovation stage. This is also the most interesting stage, but challenging. I want to integrate more technology into my teaching practice, but in a meaningful way that enables students to create authentic materials to share with a real audience. Students generally think it is fun to use technology, but I do not want to use technology just for the sake of using it. If it does not enhance a unit or the students' learning then it is probably not worth the time or effort.

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The internet and world language acquisition are a natural fit. The internet gives teachers and students incredible access to authentic language. We can explore the language and culture of countries where our language of focus is spoken. We can also use the internet to connect with other educators and students to practice the target language and learn about the culture. However, I think it is important to not abandon all former methods. At the basic level of language acquisition where memorization is required, many people benefit from writing by hand. This forces them to work more slowly and allows time to process the work as they write it. I think the physical movement also helps many people to remember vocabulary and language patterns. In addition, one of the main reasons to learn a second language is to be able to communicate in that language in a conversation with native speakers. The skill of face to face conversation remains relevant to learning and using a second language.

I agree with the five stages that are listed from the ACOT study, but I would add one more. I think there is a stage between Appropriation and Innovation. I would call this stage Embracing. For me, there was, and often I think I am still at this stage, a point where I embraced technology, but not to the  point of excess. I integrated technology where I could, but was not quite at the stage of Innovation. I used technology in some creative ways, but had not worked my way up the SAMR ladder for most of my technology influenced lessons. Of course, teaching is a practice that continually evolves, and working toward the Innovation stage is part of what keeps me engaged in education.