Technology has become a large part of the world around us. Each and every day, we use different types of technology to complete daily activities, without even realising that we are using technology. Personally, I have grown up with the development of technology, meaning that I have learnt to use many different devices and programs, and am confident when using them. When engaging with familiar digital technologies, I feel confident in being able to effectively use them. However, with a new and unfamiliar technology source or program, I will not be completely confident in using it at the beginning. Once becoming familiar with the program, I will develop confidence and will be able to use the program successfully. During my high school education, I encountered many different technological devices and programs that were crucial to use when completing certain classroom activities and assessment tasks. I believe this has given me a head start in becoming more confident when using technological devices, and being able to effectively complete tasks that require a technological element.
Due to the rate of technological grown, it can be difficult to keep up with changes made to programs, and being aware of the most up to date programs to use. For me, this can be a challenge as I will continue to use the program as if nothing has changed. To overcome this challenge, I can make sure that I keep my programs up to date and am aware of how things may have changed. When using a program, it is likely that some tasks will not be carried out with ease. If this happens, I, like many others, become frustrated after trying multiple times to complete something and blame the technology for not being easy to use. In this instance, it is important that I realise that I may be doing something wrong and may need to re-think the options I am selecting on the device. At this moment, it is difficult to pin point the areas in technology that I have the most difficulty with, but there is always something that will either confuse my thinking or challenge the way I approach an activity involving technology.
In all classrooms, it is almost certain that there will be at least two items of digital technology being used daily. This may include laptops & computers, interactive whiteboards, I-pads, printers, televisions and other important resources that are used widely in today’s education system. Many lessons in educational settings today involve different technology resources that allow students to solve problems and learn new skills that will be used in other areas of their lives. In the Australian Curriculum, there are two different areas that involve technology. One is a core learning area that focusses on Design and Digital technologies where students use computational thinking and information systems to define, design and implement digital solutions (ACARA, 2017), while the other is a cross curriculum priority. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability is the cross-curriculum priority that helps students “learn to use ICT effectively and appropriately to access, create and communicate information and ideas, solve problems and work collaboratively in all learning areas at school and in their lives beyond school” (ACARA, 2017). Although they both involve technology, these are different in the way they will be implemented in the classroom. One involves the learning of technology and using digital technologies to solve problems, while the other area is the actual computational thinking behind technology and using this knowledge to implement digital solutions.
In my future classroom, I will include different types of technology in as many areas as possible. This will be the case because of how common technology has become in many areas of our lives. The students will be able to engage with interactive whiteboards, computers, and other resources depending on the availability of them at the school. These resources may include I-pads, laptops, Bee-Bots, Ozobots, drones and other programs that can be downloaded onto laptops and I-pads. This curriculum area will consist of different elements for each year level, however, all students will be engaging with some sort of digital technology. There are many valuable resources that can be implemented in classrooms and classroom activities that cover this curriculum area and help students successfully achieve the intended learning goals for this core learning area.