PLN 12, Educational Duct Tape

• In what ways have can technology help you become a more productive teacher? In what ways can technology help you solve problems? How does this benefit you personally? How does it benefit your students? Parents?
• What types of productiviety tools do you see yourself using in your classroom and specifically, how will you use them? 
• What was the most striking thing you took away from Jake's presentation? How will it impact your own learning?

Like Jake Miller said in this weeks presentation, educational technology is most useful when it is NOT the goal of the lesson, but as a tool used to solve a particular problem or to meet a goal. Technology can help me become a more productive teacher in almost every aspect. It opens up a variety of teaching tools and creativity.  Educational technology should be something naturally incorporated into a classroom, not the main goal. As a teacher, you should not have to change every lesson plan or idea to involve technology. If it is beneficial and works, then go ahead and use it. Technology should just help and aide in learning, not completely take over. We still have to teach and instruct, technology cannot and should not do everything for us because everyone is so unique and learns differently. There is literally an endless amount of tools that help teachers complete tasks quicker and easier, but it cannot ever completely take over. It benefits students as well, for example, they are able to complete projects at home with a group on Google Docs. (thats just one example out of a million) Technology can also help with immediate feedback so parents know where their kids are academic wise, and can easily communicate with the teacher. One productivity tool I can see myself using is Google Docs. I can access my students documents whenever and provide immediate feedback as well as highlight certain words, add in footnotes/sidenotes, and etc. I want to use tools that can be accessed from home and from school so they have minimal excuses for getting them done. Audioboo is also another tool that allows me to record messages and send to my students whenever. Like I just stated, there is an endless amount of tools, and I am sure I will use many of them throughout my career. 

I learned so much during Jake's presentation. Technology in education can benefit anyone involved in the learning process, (which is like everyone) teachers, students, parents, etc. Technology simply makes education easier by allowing teachers and students to be more connected, productive, organized, and even more enjoyable. There is a solution to every problem if you want there to be, all you have to do is find one and make it happen, like Jake did.