Reflection: The Future of Now

Technology is changing all the time at an alarming rate, and I would be hard-pressed to try and keep up with it all. As the videos point out, the reality is that we and our children are growing up in a digital world, and electronic communications are the way of now and the future. I don't think I will be competing with a robot for my teaching job in the future, but who knows. Supposedly, by 2030 home robots are going to be widespread and "normal." The implications it has on my teaching is that technology is a real and daily part of our lives, and should be included as much as it can be in the education of our children--even if it is as simple as just having the child play a game that has educational value. Especially, as the videos stress, technology is going to replace jobs and be the world that our children will live and work in, which as educators, we need to prepare them for.

My role as a teacher shouldn't change due to technological advances. If anything, I feel what's different is that technology is something that should be used to enhance our teaching. For example, in math, technology-based models can provide another source of models and manipulatives. There are many websites that have a range of virtual manipulatives, like geoboards, base-ten blocks, spinners and number lines. So, virtual manipulatives are a good addition to physical models, as some students will prefer the electronic version; furthermore, they may have access to these tools outside the classroom.

I have learned from these videos that technology is not something threatening, but rather, we need community leaders that can educate school staff about technology that can be useful in the classroom, while remaining relevant and realistic as we prepare our students for the future of now.