EDUblog Comments and Thoughts

            Recently I had the opportunity to read and post a comment on two education blogs that I found to be insightful and time well spent.  Unfortunately, one of my comments has still not been posted on the blog due to review by a moderator prior to posting...so hopefully someone reviews it soon so it can go public.  The first educblogger I read was by Lee Kolbert A Geeky Momma's Blog entitled Improving Learning with Mobile Technology.  Lee Kolbert is a former teacher and current manager of educational technology for her school district.  Mrs. Kolbert's blog provides free downloads and an abundance of tips on social learning, including tools for moderated messaging, polling, and private communication networks.  The particular blog I commented on she shared an ebook that contained teaching words of wisdom, and lessons from educators on improving learning with mobile technology.  I liked one particular page in the ebook that discussed the importance of teachers giving the classroom back to their students through the controlled use of technology in the class in the form of cell phones.  Cell phones can be used in conjunction with assessments to help teachers better understand what material their students have a grasp on and what material they are still unsure of.       

            The second blog I read and commented on was by Joanne Jacobs.  Joanne is a educational journalist who often writes on educational issues such as special education, state academic standards, teacher training, cultural aspects of education, college readiness and much more. I found her blog entitled Linking and Thinking on Education to be witty, visually pleasing, and good to read as a future educator.  More specifically, I read her article Test revolts spread-but will they burn out? and was informed about the recent uprising in teacher, parent, student dissent regarding the abundant use of standardized tests in the classroom.  Joanne states that recently "More than 80 percent of the parents at a NYC primary school recently decided against participating in the testing that would have been used to evaluate their children's teachers."  She also said that because of increased protesting and resistance testing rollbacks at the state level are already underway in Texas, Washington, and Illinois.  I have never been a fan of standardized tests because I believe they are inequitable and force teachers to "teach to the test."  Far too much weight and emphasis is placed on standardized tests and I would love to see this movement continue to grow in numbers and in strength.     

Webinar Reflection

I can't believe this is my last blog of the fall semester in EDUC 504, once again it seems like the class just started.  For this blog I would like to discuss my experience creating a webinar and listening to my classmates various webinars over the last week.  In 504 we recently had a small group project where in our groups we successfully created and presented a webinar introducing a Web2.0 tool.  A Web 2.0 tool is any website that uses technology beyond the static pages of earlier websites, in essence they are more user-friendly and interactive.  My group, which composed of my two good friends and fellow cohort members Cory Cotter and Alexander Griffiths, presented Museum Box as our Web 2.0 tool.  Museum box is a pretty cool website that allows the user to build a virtual museum box composed of information that the user wishes to present in a unique and visually pleasing fashion.  To be honest I didn't find Museum box to be anything special when compared to other methods of presentation like Prezi, or even PowerPoint, but at least the option is on the table if an educator wishes to try something new. 

            As far as the experience of being introduced to webinars through 504, and having the opportunity to hear some and then create our own, I thought this was very insightful.  I learned that a webinar is simply a presentation, lecture, workshop, or seminar that is transmitted over the web.  I found the idea of a webinar to be a really cool alternative to a traditional lecture or class.  I really enjoyed listening to my fellow classmates webinars that they created and thought the whole process was beneficial to know as a future educator.  I don't know if I ever see myself using a webinar in the classroom at least in the near future, but I definitely would not rule it out.  In order to use a webinar in a traditional high school classroom this would require all your students to have internet and computer access and I know at my placement at John Glenn high school this would be challenging.  Also I'm not sure the students would be fully engaged and appreciate the use of a webinar.  I could see webinars being really useful in more of a college setting where access to technology and student engagement and participation is much higher.               

Flipping Physics with founder Jon Palmer

          Last week in EDUC 504 we had a great guest lecturer in former Mac'er John Palmer '00.  John Palmer his novel idea of "Flipping Physics" in an entertaining and captivating fashion.  Flipping Physics is a unique concept that quite literally flips the classroom, I'll explain.  John has modified his class where the students learn the material at home and come to class prepared to ask questions and do their homework.  I should add that John is a semi-professional video editor and creates videos for his students to watch and learn from while at home.  After watching his videos I must say they are really well done, entertaining, and funny.  Although most of the material goes way over my head because I am a terrible physicist, there were a few points that he made more easy to at least ponder.  John uses his basement and his acting skills to create funny skits in which he presents students with that nights material.    

            By "Flipping Physics" John creates a classroom that allows students to focus and work through their homework problems.  This gives students the opportunity to ask questions regarding the homework while in class.  Additionally, John can also go over the problems at the end of class and can also work through tough problems at the front of the room if confusion arises.  This model does require students to do the learning at home, but this is made fun with John's entertaining and well done videos.  Through the lecture John also talked about how a lot of time is saved within the class by adapting the flipped classroom model.  He also showed us some evidence that further backed up his claim that flipping a classroom creates a more effective learning environment.  He did this by averaging all the quizzes and tests from two semesters, one from a "traditional" classroom model, and the other of a "flipped" classroom.  His results concluded that the "flipped" model was slightly more effective seeing a three percent increase when compared to the "traditional" classroom model.  I don't see myself using the flipped classroom model in my history classes but I still respect the model and thought John's lecturer and presentation was very insightful.  I admire his dedication and intuitive approach to the field of education.             

Tech Tools in Use-Prezi

       

             Earlier in the semester three of my fellow Mac'ers presented the website Prezi to our cohort and I must say I was impressed.  I was impressed first and foremost by Cory, Even, and Matt's well done presentation and delivery of Prezi.   They explained the website top to bottom and spent a good amount of time showing the class how we as future educators can use the website to better present our daily lessons .  Moreover, I was also impressed with the actual product of Prezi.  Prior to the presentation I had only heard about Prezi and its ability to allow a user to create an aesthetically pleasing presentation.  Additionally,  initially I had no clue how to make a Prezi  presentation, I also had no knowledge of what the websites limitations were.  As a future secondary history teacher I see a lot of potential in Prezi and feel that I will definitely find a use for it in my class.  Through Cory, Even, and Matt's presentation I feel like I have a good grip on how to navigate the Prezi website and create my own Prezi from scratch. 

            I feel that incorporating Prezi presentation with a traditional history lecture could create a very effective combination for initiating learning.  With the ability to embed videos, music, pictures, and other medians I believe that Prezi is perfect for catering to the multitude of different learning styles present within an average classroom.  Throughout the groups presentation Cory, who is an historian by trade, showed the class a couple example presentations of how you can create and implement a history Prezi presentation.  Prezi allows the creator to include primary sources such as, maps, artwork, documents, pictures, political cartoons, and much more inside the presentation.  It also allows the creator to present the information with unique transitions and backgrounds that make the presentation much more captivating for students during their long days at school.  The technical term for these cool transitions that can be customized based on the users desire is "Zooming User Interface", or commonly abbreviated as ZUI.  From the few times I have messed around with Prezi since the presentation in class I have found the website to be user-friendly and easy to navigate.  All in all I give Prezi a grade "A" and find that it can be a very effective supplement when presenting information to students.                  

Technology at John Glenn High School

             It has been a little over a month in a half since my last blog and a lot has happened since then.  I am already in my fourth week of my year long student teaching placement at John Glenn high school (JGHS) in Westland, Michigan.  I have been placed with veteran teacher Michele Anderson in her U.S. history class that is composed up of mainly eleventh graders with an occasional twelfth grader in her class.  I would classify the use and role technology plays at John Glenn as mediocre at best.  The building, which opened in 1964, still has no wifi which makes using laptops difficult.  I am forced to leave my laptop stationary in one spot in the corner of the classroom next to the only ethernet cord in the class.  The classes are all equipped with Dell desktops that are literally 11 years old, which is crazy old considering the recent technological advances in computing the last few years alone.  Additionally, all classes have an LCD projector that is used in collaboration with Smart boards.  Most of the teachers seem to have a love-hate relationship with their boards sighting their potential uses and daily malfunctions and misuses.

            The grading and attendance is all done at JGHS through an on-line program called Zango that is accessible from any computer.  From my experience with the program thus far I have found it to be exceptionally slow and not very user-friendly.  Through speaking with my mentor and other John Glenn teachers I have gathered that the program is really unpopular and more of a pain then a time saver.  Located in JGHS's library is a laptop cart with over 50 laptops and 33 desktop computers available for all students who need to do research or just type up a document.  The student body seems to be more connected with technology as are most twenty-first century students.  Almost all the students have cell phones and are always on them during passing period, with cell phone use being  restricted while in class.  My teacher Mrs. Anderson uses her Smart board nearly every class as she displays her PowerPoint on it during lectures.  I look forward to gaining more insight on the use of technology and its role at JGHS as my student teaching internship continues.          

Organizing my online life

Here is a screen shot of my organizing your online life document.  I found Pinterest to be really innovative and valuable as a future educator.  I plan to use it in my history classroom this fall while student teaching to show various primary sources like pictures and paintings to my students.  If you would like to refer back to my Pinterest blog it was published on July 17th, 2013.

Reading off of paper or an electronic screen?

                I really enjoyed this week's class and readings for EDUC 504.  I enjoyed reading the article "The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens."  I myself have always preferred doing my academic reading on paper, just because I feel more comfortable annotating and having it physically in my hands.  For some reason, I find it easier to flip through the pages and conceptualize when I have a hard copy in front of me.  This is particularly weird because I enjoy reading just about anything else (news, sports) on my Ipad or computer.  When I really need to concentrate on an academic reading I prefer to have it tangibly in front of me so I can sift through the pages, as opposed to doing it all on a computer screen where I have a hard time conceptualizing flipping through pages.  It should be noted that I grew up without a computer in my house till early middle school so I feel that this has something to do with my preference of reading on paper.  Furthermore, it is difficult for me to navigate electronic sources with the same ease as a tactile book or newspaper; I don't know maybe I am just old fashion.  I will say that over the last month in a half in the MAC program I have grown way more accustomed to reading electronic PDF's on the computer, as opposed to printing them all out.  My Ipad allows me to write on the PDF's and highlight whatever information I find important.  This has helped me not only save many  trees, but also keep all my readings centralized in one easily accessible location.  I will say that after looking at my computer screen all day it is nice to read a paper article and switch it up. 

            The article brings up a fascinating study that was done in 1982, and concluded that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper.   Moreover, further studies have concluded that most people still prefer reading on paper, especially when reading intensively.  This trend could be moving though with the introduction of countless new E-readers and tablets.  I for one can attest to this change, having got an Ipad a few years ago and an E-reader app that I put on it.  I love how I can buy the kindle editions of books with one click of the mouse and have the electronic edition of the book in my hands within 30 seconds.  I wouldn't be surprised that if in the next decade physical books and newspapers become virtually replaced by electronic versions.  This idea being furthered by the growing ecological and environmental issues present in our world.  Additionally, the article discussed a study that found that students who read on paper absorb the material more quickly and thoroughly.  All in all, I feel that the preference of reading on a digital screen or book is still just that, personal preference.                 

ED-U-BLOG!

                For today's blog I decided to write about the education blog entitled "Speaking of History..." by Eric Langhorst.  More specifically, I would like to talk about his blog post from this Monday "Connecting the story.  In this blog, Langhorst discusses a workshop he attended in Washington D.C. conducted by Model Classroom and the Pearson Foundation.  He discusses the workshop as being an emotional experience and very thought provoking.  During the workshop he had the opportunity to attend the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which he discusses as being an emotional experience.  I have actually had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and see this same beautiful memorial and felt the same way.  In fact, one of my close family friends actually had a brother who was killed during the Vietnam conflict and his name is immortalized on the wall.  My family and I all took a piece of paper and a black stencil and went over his name so that we could forever have it to treasure and honor.  I couldn't believe all the names on the wall, over 58,000 men and women died during the conflict that lasted well over a decade.   As a big history buff I found the trip to Washington D.C. with my family to be incredible. Moreover, as a future history teacher I plan to talk at great lengths about the Vietnam Conflict and the Memorial in Washington D.C..

             Switching directions a little bit, Langhorst also visited the Holocaust Museum during his Washington D.C. workshop.  I also had the opportunity to visit this museum with my family and found it to be just as emotionally captivating and moving as the Vietnam Memorial.  Ever since I was a young student I have always held a deep intellectual curiosity for WWII and the Holocaust.  It's so incredible to think that something as terrible and deplorable as the Holocaust actually happened, let alone in the 20th century.  Moving throughout the museum you could feel the intense emotion of what it must of been like to live and die in a Nazi concentration camp.  The inside of the museum is decorated and designed to look just like a concentration camp and only enhances the emotions and feelings experienced by the viewers.  I really hope that sometime during my teaching career I will be able to lead a field trip or study trip to the Holocaust museum and Washington D.C. in general.  Furthermore, I feel that my trip to Washington D.C., just like Langhorst's, will really benefit me as a future history educator.  

Screen Shot from Age of Empires

Age of Empires in the class

                      At  the end of yesterdays EDUC 504 class Rory asked the question "how can we revise a high school curriculum around video gaming?"  After first hearing the question I really didn't have any initial thoughts or opinions regarding the subject matter, but after having some time to think it over I believe I have developed a clear position.  Growing up in middle school and high school I always used to play the game "Age of Empire" PC games.  "Age of Empires" is a series of PC games that allows players to cultivate their own civilization in real time strategy fashion, similar to the way SIMS does.  This game was so cool to me growing up because it allowed me to express my interest in the subject of history all while playing video games, which is something I loved.  As crazy as it is, I feel that "Age of Empires" really helped further grow my passion and intellectual curiosity for history.  The game allowed me to create my own civilization and decide what buildings, people, and direction to take my land.  I got to build houses, build farms, raise armies, invest in technology, invest in resources, manage infrastructure, create alliances, and much more.  Furthermore, each decision a player makes can drastically effect the direction and outcome of your civilization.

            I honestly believe a real time strategy game like "Age of Empires" could be used abundantly throughout a history or anthropology class during a semester.  The game was created in such a way that I believe it could be really beneficial to use in history classes helping students further understand the importance of history and how it relates to them.  "Age of Empires" in my opinion does a remarkable job of making history come alive to its players.  I also think the game is really beneficial because of its ability to cross into other disciplines and encourage students to problem solve.  Moreover, the game is very user friendly and easy to understand and master.  The game is very similar to the SIMS in that you control everything that happens, and the direction and flow of the game.  "Age of Empires" could be easily aligned into the history classes daily lessons.  For example, if one week my class is discussing WWII, then "Age of Empires" can be utilized as students execute their own military strategies, with the same weapons and geography of that of WWII.  Students can play countless simulations of real time battles where they make numerous decisions that affect the outcome of the civilization.  The game also provides students with a great general understanding of practical economics that they can then apply to a more vast understanding of history.  All in all I believe Age of Empires would be a great game for developing students basic understanding of history, and how it is shaped based on various decisions and strategies.  I plan on using the game a lot in my future history classes.           

An image from the first video game I ever bought!  Mario Kart.

Video games inside the classroom!

Being a child of the 1990's I grew up with a love and appreciation for all kinds of video games.  I got my first video game system, a Nintendo 64, when I was in second grade in February of 1997.  To this day it was probably the most exciting purchase I have ever made.  I could hardly wait to get the new state of the art system home before opening the box and reading the manual.  I attribute the birth of my intellectual curiosity to this purchase and playing video games at an early age.  I didn't particularly like to read as a young adolescent, but that all seemingly changed when I began playing video games on a regular basis.  I always read the manuals of each game I bought an played, and remember becoming markedly more inquisitive in how I went about playing the games.  This intellectual curiosity further moved into the classroom where I begin studying more and attacking problems at a more metacognitive level.  I feel that video games at an early age helped increase my vocabulary in the same way that reading from a book can increase your vocabulary, just in a different way.  I also feel that by playing video games, which are often challenging, my cognitive ability and problem solving ability increased and became more advanced. 

            I would love to use video games as much as I can, within reason, inside the classroom.  I really enjoyed the article "Good Video Games and Good Learning" by James Paul Gee.  I thought the article did a great job of looking at some of the brief learning principles good games incorporate.  I believe video games do a great job of interacting with the player and allowing the player to make decisions that will influence his/her game play experience.  I also think it's cool how video games encourage its players to take risks.  Video games lower the consequences of failure and therefore promote risk-taking.  I believe education should also reward students who take academic risks in engaging in new and more challenging academic coursework.  Also, video games are customizable, allowing players to customize a game to fit their learning and playing styles.  Education should also consider further allowing this concept, for the simple fact that students enjoy learning more when they feel it is something they can personalize and control. 

            I hope to implement some forms of video games into my history classes, at least a few times each semester.  I think video games can provide a very practical learning opportunity for students who enjoy engaging in them.  Moreover, I also think the use of video games in the classroom will keep class fresh and interesting, allowing students a break from the standard monotony of a history classroom.  I feel that History in particular could really benefit with the use of video games in the classroom.  I really want to try and relate the importance of history to my students and how it is all around them, and I feel that a video game will help me in making history more fun and practical.  I enjoyed playing some of the history games on the BBC website and plan to use this cite when I enter the classroom in September, to give my students a new medium for increased comprehension and understanding.                    

Media Literacy Education

This week in EDUC 504 we learned a lot of valuable information.  More specifically, we discussed  information regarding the purpose of media literacy in education.   We used the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) as a framework to converse about the purpose of media literacy education.  According to the article the main purpose of media literacy education is to "help students develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression needed by critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today's world."  Some of the goals of media literacy education that I found particularly informative was the idea that it is important for students to ask their own questions about the media, as opposed to just responding to what the teacher asks.  This is important for students to become good critical thinkers of the modern world.

            It is also imperative that teachers teach students to ask questions when they are both, making and using media.  Asking questions is key in all academic disciplines so that students develop a deeper understanding of various concepts and ideas.  It is also encouraged that teachers push students to use multiple means of expression including sound, images, and words.  This helps students further decide which mean of expression will best allow them to achieve their goals.  Furthermore, students must justify all opinions and interpretations with apparent, document based evidence.  This statement holds very true in all other academic disciplines as well.  For something to be taken as credible it must have evidence supporting itself. 

            I also found the point, "includes media representing diverse points of view( e.g. , does not reduce complex debates to only two sides and/or actively seeks alternative media sources)."  When gathering information one must make it a point to collect a diverse array of thoughts, concepts, and ideas before fully developing one's own opinion or point of view.  I felt that this reading, mixed with a great class full of good examples and information will be very beneficial for me as a future educator of the twenty-first century.  Furthermore, class these week provided me with two great new programs in drop box, and xmarks.  These two sites will really help me in organizing my digital life.         

Learning about Pinterest

I really enjoyed learning the in's and out's of Pinterest the last few days.  I feel that the website will be really beneficial for me as an educator.  I found it very similar to one of my favorite websites, Stumbleupon.  Pinterest allows users to: make a wishlist, plan a trip, organize an event, start a collection, and plan a project.  Pinterest allows users to create and manage image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies.  Pinterest gives each users a pin board, homepage, where they can compile all their interests and likes in one place.  You can search for virtually any topic or idea on the cite.  I definitely see myself using this website as a history teacher in years to come.  The website is very user friendly and easy to set up or sync with your Facebook.  

As a future history I found the cite to have tremendous potential for aiding me in my lectures and curriculum.  I searched for history and found a ton of great primary pictures, historical facts, and geographic facts and concepts.  I think it would be great to be able to build a large collection of images and facts that I could use to supplement, and enhance my lessons.  Pinterest can be very helpful in providing teachers with innovative and creative ideas for lesson plans.Moreover, I really liked one feature of Pinterest that I feel will come in great use as I begin to teach and look for outside sources to fill my lesson plans.  I really like how if you click on a picture it makes it much larger, and if you click on the image again it takes you directly to the pictures respective website.  Here I can find even more information about the photo or topic. 

I plan on using Pinterest in the classroom almost everyday.  My goal is to make history exciting and relevent to my students.  I feel that the abundance of images and ideas located on Pinterest will be great to use in the class.  Furthermore, some individuals are visual learners and this will be a great opportunity to include them.  I also noticed Pinterest has a great section for teachers, giving ideas on how to teach lessons in an innovative and exciting way.  I cant wait to use Pinterest in the classroom!!  

 

School back in the day

        I can't imagine going to school in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century around the time of John Dewey.  I can't fathom how different and foreign it would be to me, being a student of the twenty first century.  First off, the school would probably be made up of only one or two rooms without any sign of indoor plumbing or the comforts we have come to expect being citizens of the modern world.  Moreover, the classroom would most likely be made up of a mixture of grades. The most advanced piece of technology located in the room would probably be either the wood burning stove in the middle of the classroom or the chalk and chalkboard the teacher is using to convey his/her lessons.  Each student would most likely be required to study and learn Latin, and if you didn't do your homework the night before you could expect to be subjected to corporal punishment in front of your classmates.  Corporal punishment at this time often meant being spanked, slapped, or getting your knuckles hit with a wood ruler.     

                     The one room school houses of the nineteenth and early twentieth century could most likely fit inside most modern day high school cafeterias.  These schools usually educated anywhere from 5-30 students at a time depending on the geographical location of the school.  Unfortunately, because of segregation laws, in both the de jure and de facto sense, schools were often very homogeneous.  Each differing minority group usually had their own separate school that was located in close proximity to their houses and neighborhoods.  In some cases, the teacher or headmaster actually lived at the school, and had a small room built off of the school where he/she could sleep and cook. 

            Even during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century technology still played an important role inside the classroom.  Even if their technology at the time was just chalk and chalkboard they didn't know any better just like we don't know any better now.  I'm sure in a couple hundred years the people of the twenty second and twenty third centuries will look back at us and our computers as inferior and laughable.  I'm sure if the students of the early centuries, and even decades for that matter, would be in awe of our modern day classrooms      

"Learning By Doing"

 Prior to reading this week's articles I would have never guessed that John Dewey's ideas, in anyway, had such a lasting impact on educational technology; I mean he was born before the Civil War and died shortly after the first room-size computers came into being.  Although John Dewey never specifically advocated for the use of modern technology in the classroom, something that would have been difficult being a person of the late 19th and early 20th century, his progressive ideas of the time have "indirectly" stated his acceptance and advocacy for technology in the classroom.  Evidence that Dewey would have approved and advocated for technology in education is apparent in many of his quotes and reoccurring ideological principles. 

            For example, Dewey states in his Pedagogic Creed "that schools must represent present life - life as real and vital to the child as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the play-ground."  In today's world computers and technology as a whole play an imperative role in society and civilization.  Dewey would agree that schools and classrooms all across America need to provide every opportunity they can to integrate technology into the classroom so that students can be prepared with practical knowledge in order to succeed in the 21st century.  Moreover, Dewey believes that a "teacher should be engaged, not simply in the training of individuals, but in the formation of the proper social life."  This idea only enhances the notion that technology should be incorporated into the classrooms so that students can be educated and prepared for our modern world, a world that is seemingly run by modern technology. 

            I believe that using technology inside the classroom can really help students grasp information.  Dewey states at great length the importance of students learning through experience, not material.  Technology offers the perfect opportunity for students to learn through individual hands-on experience.  Additionally, technology inside the classroom offers student's opportunities  for: student-center learning, context based learning, experiential learning, authentic learning, and reflexive learning; all which, according to Dewey are vital to the learning process.  Although Dewey never directly advocated for modern technology inside the classroom, his ideas of presenting students with real world experiences and practical knowledge can only leave scholars and educators assuming he would have advocated heavily for its use inside American schools.  

"Teaching with Technology" -My First Blog

"Teaching with Technology"

I believe that EDUC 504 "Teaching with Technology" is going to be a very insightful and important class on my road to becoming a twenty-first century educator.  If I just sit back and think of my own experience as a student throughout the years, technology has played a very important role in helping me learn and grasp curriculum of all disciplines.  When I started school in the mid-1990's I remember there rarely being a computer in every classroom, most classes just shared a couple computers, and ironically these computers we located out in the hall.  I remember there being T.V's and no projectors or smart boards.  As I began middle school and high school I do remember technology being much more prevalent inside the class.  Teachers often used projectors and computers on a daily basis to present material.

                With the increased prevalence of technology in the classroom teachers can now reach students in many different ways.  Technology in the classrooms allows students to learn well beyond the textbooks, allowing teachers to have unlimited access to resources and lesson plans.  Moreover, and most importantly perhaps, technology empowers students in taking an active role in furthering their learning and education; technology allows students to take ownership of their academics.  I think it is also important to note that technology in the classroom also helps to bridge the achievement and social gaps so prevalent in American schools by allowing all students access to a wealth of interconnected knowledge. 

                As a prospective secondary history teacher I see myself incorporating technology into my classroom at every moment it allows itself.  I hope that all kids in my class will have a computer or tablet in front of them allowing for instant internet access.  It is my hope that through technology I can make history fun and exciting for all my students.  Furthermore, I feel it is my job as an educator in the twenty-first century to see to it that all students have a confident and basic understanding of technology prior to entering the "real world."