Overall Reflection

Having completed this course (with the exception of the webpage), I would like to take this opportunity to sit back and reflect on my progression as a future teacher throughout this course. When I first began the class, I already carried a bit of a defeatist attitude toward technology and my ability to successfully implement technology in the classroom. My mom, a digital immigrant as a result of her mere age, had complained of her school's requirements regarding the use of technology in the classroom, and how teachers were expected to teach themselves and each other new forms of technology with nearly no guidance or training. Of course, nine times out of ten, the technology somehow malfunctioned and valuable class time was spent trying to reboot machines or retrieve information mysteriously "lost in cyberspace."

Even in the classrooms I have observed over the past two semesters, technology has rarely been a positive addition to the classroom. My high school practicum teacher used technology constantly in her classroom, and as a result of exploring new technological options, the effort spent lesson planning and even instructing extensively diminished. Students blamed failure to turn in assignments on technological malfunctions, they spent the class period mindlessly practicing Spanish through isolated, meaningless Quia activities, and teacher-student interaction decreased as a result. On the other hand, my middle school practicum teacher shied away from technology to the point that the most technologically advanced piece of equipment in her classroom, besides students' laptops, was an overhead projector. In both cases, technology was misused in the classroom, and it did not give off a positive impression as I started into this course.

However, as time passed and I spent entirely too much time and effort on creating technology projects to accompany meticulous lesson plans, I realized that I did not need to know every single intricacy, inside and out, of the technology that I was using. Although it is beneficial, it is unrealistic, and I do not believe in sacrificing instructional time or planning time to perfect the font color of a SmartBoard presentation. Teachers can use technology effectively without becoming experts or undergoing formal training in the field, and many times, it is a learning process for teachers themselves to use technology. I don't expect to enter the field having taught myself everything about the technology in my classroom, but over time, I can develop myself as a user of technology by taking risks and exploring new forms of technology. In many cases, students are even a helpful resource, as many of them take a side interest in technology and are delighted to share their knowledge with others.

So, despite the frustrations, trials, and tribulations that this course has caused, I find myself more comfortable and at peace with technology. I did not leave this course a technological expert, nor will I ever become one, but I do believe that I have done myself and my future students a service having introduced myself to the basic forms of technology that I can now develop little by little in my classroom. Foreign language often goes hand-in-hand with technology, and it is my responsibility as a professional to utilize technological resources in my classroom.