7/27 Reflections

Today was a great example for several of us in class on experiencing the frustration when the technology doesn't work the way it is demonstrated. On the positive side of the situation, during the class today we had time to sit and try and work through the problem without the added stress of a time limit or having 25 students stare at us as we try to solve the problem or move to plan B. As many of us have probably experienced, when this happens in a classroom situation, the frustration becomes even greater mainly because we are trying to move on with the lesson without losing control of the students as they wait for the technology to work. As we have mentioned before, this is also where professional development is so critical. If there is a technology meltdown for someone who is somewhat comfortable with using technology, there may still be frustration, but they are probably better equipped to handle the situation. For someone who is starting out and experiences problems, it is easy to understand why they throw their hands in the air and decide that technology isn't worth the aggravation. That is one of the reasons I like taking classes on this topic because it allows me the time and space to learn and practice using the tools with a knowledgeable person available to help with problems before using them in the classroom. In order to provide other staff members with a higher level of comfort in using these tools, I want to make a greater effort in demonstrating some of the technologies we have learned about in class to staff in my building and help them learn to use the technology with their classes.