Mr. Winkle Wakes

Mr. Winkle Wakes is a short video created by Matthew Needleman that is about a character named Mr. Winkles that wakes up after a hundred years to find all sorts of news technologies such as computers, printers, and video conferences. It was all so overwhelming to him at first, that he felt ill and took himself to the hospital.  After getting checked in, he saw many machines there such as breathing machines, lasers and X- Rays that he had never before witnessed that it also overwhelmed him, and he left again to figure out what to do. Throughout, the video, it is apparent that Mr. Winkle does not like change and is most comfortable to an environment that he is used to.

The meaning of this video is to show its viewers that change can be uncomfortable but is crucial to keep up to date in the 21st century and all the new technology that has come about. If you aren't used to using something that may be needed for a job, you may be looked over for that job but of lack of experience. The same goes in a school setting. If you are assigned a project that involves the use of equipment,  that you may not be familiar with, you may fall behind. That is how important it is to stay up to date in this day of age. Teachers included! You may have to show your students how to use something in order to complete an assignment. As a future teacher, I will need to research constantly because I am not very tech savvy like Mr. Winkles...

While researching about technology in the classroom, I found that many teachers are starting to use iPads to make topics interesting to their students. What I learned about having this technology will also enable a teacher to organize their schedule for the week, send emails on the go, and also to record grades and other information for each child. For a student and teacher use, one can also record what assignments they need to do and also they can set an alarm as a reminder which is very helpful to anybody!

On a website called Power to Learn, it has information on how the iPad is basically a library. Instead of carrying around multiple hard copies of books, teachers will have hundreds of books in one place that is easy to carry around and use. It is called the iBooks app. It actually has more than 50,000 free books, including most of those included for K-12 literature.There are also apps, such as iMaps, that allow the teacher to help students learn about directions and geography, which is key for all students to know.There is also a free Dictionary.com app that will let students research new words and find out the meaning. There so many other features that come free on an iPad and many more that you can buy that will help making teaching and learning easier and more interesting. Of course, you don't want to use an iPad all the time, but when and if you do, it should help out in the long run.

Teaching with Technology

Before being in this class, I hadn't built a website, written on a blog, or made a portaportal. Learning and creating these assignments has allowed me to think more about I want my classroom to be. It has given me new ideas about the type of atmosphere I would like my classroom to be. Videos and Clips will be a big part of my classroom, not only because my students will view them, but because parents will be able to view the videos on my classroom website.  The use of videos can be a powerful teaching tool because it reiterates what I teach in words to my students. Even though it can be difficult for students to learn about new technology, practice makes perfect. Practice in my case has helped me immensely. Trial and Error can be a good thing as it helps you to remember mistakes and how to avoid them in the future.

It can improve the thought process of my students and allow them to grasp principles more easily if they are able to see and watch it rather than just listen to words or read a piece of paper. As a future teacher, I want to be able to to teach my students my students to the best of my ability and give them every opportunity, and I think this aspect will help me in the long run. Students will be able to access the videos at home if they want to watch it again if they have a question for homework. The use of technology will make connections for parents as well. They will have the ability to use my website or the programs on my portaportal with their children without having to be in the classroom. Overall, technology has the power to make or break your classroom environment. It is all about the use and knowledge of it and experimentation is the key.