Technology is constantly changing and growing. It has become a huge part of everyday life and a huge part of the classroom. As an educator it will be one of my top priorities to include technology in my classroom as often as possible. I think it is important to use technology so that my students learn the necessary skills to successfully incorporate technology into their school work, careers, and adult lives.

I believe that children should be literate in all aspects of computers and common software, such as Word and PowerPoint. For that reason, I will use computers and these programs as often as possible. My students will write research papers often and will use the Internet to research their topics. They will use Word to write their papers and will create PowerPoints to present in class. I plan to use every computer program available in my classroom.

It is important to me that I use proper terms when speaking of technology so that my students are hearing correct computer terms from the beginning. In order to do so, I will teach them the proper terms to use when speaking of technology. For example, my students will refer to icons as icons and not that little button. In addition, I will teach them good typing habits that they will be able to carry on throughout their lives.

I believe technology can be used in beneficial ways in and out of the classroom. As a teacher, I will use technology as a tool of constant communication with parents and my students. I will create a classroom webpage where I will post homework, announcements, and additional information that parents and students may need to reference every now and then. I will also make myself easily accessible at all times through e-mail, so that there is always help and support for my students, as well as quick responses to any questions from parents.

I am aware that not all students have easy access to computers and that not all parents are computer savvy. I plan to keep those students just as involved with technology, and the parents just as up to date and informed. As a teacher, I will always take advantage of the computer lab time that is given to me, as well as the three or four computers I may have in my classroom. I will set up after-school lab time, where I will invite students who may not have computers at home to work on computer class assignments, or just to teach them about new programs and software. For parents who do not have access to computers, I will have a voice-mail that will be checked repeatedly throughout the day. Additionally, I will create bi-weekly newsletters through programs like Publisher, which I will send home to keep them informed of upcoming events and assignments.

In my hours of service learning, I have seen and heard of inequality when it comes to technology. As a teacher, I plan to create an environment where girls will feel just as comfortable and welcome to use the computers as the boys. After reading an article about an elementary school computer club, I was inspired. I plan to start a computer club that will teach students to fix basic computer problems in order to save teachers class-time spent on malfunctioning computers.

Overall, I hope to be a very computer rich teacher. I want my students to feel comfortable with computers by the time they move on to the fifth grade (or whatever grade). I will set great examples by using technology often. I hope to inspire them in that way, and leave them with great technology habits that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.