Last year as a student teacher, I used a Smart Board almost everyday. It was used to record homework, during math, social studies, etc. I became accustom to easily being able to use Microsoft Word to draft group writing or thoughts and find pictures to serve as a visual aid to our class discussion. Since I’ve moved onto my current classroom situation, I have been challenged in providing such multiple ways of engaging my students with technology. Coming from Smart Boards, using an overhead projector feels so much older. My current school has laptop carts that can be reserved and digital projectors that can be connected to a laptop. It’s hard to determine when to bring in the extra technology and how to best incorporate it into the classroom curriculum.
We live in such a digital world. When Nancy Firchow discussed the purpose of Universal Design for Learning, she talked about three principles for creating a more flexible curriculum. These were: multiple methods of presentation, multiple options for participation, and multiple means of expression. Supporting a classroom that demonstrates these principles is a must so that each student can be reached in the class.
Using different forms of technology, we as teachers offer multiple ways of engaging them in learning and sparking their curiosity. Even though my classroom doesn’t have a Smart Board, my biggest questions are what kinds of technology to incorporate, how, and when to use it. Listening to people talk in class last week made me really think about how useful technological tools are and I hope to explore more of them this semester.
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