Interview with Manuel Vital

Should teachers be technologically literate?- Paola

This was a question that was asked by Dr. Strange many times. When he asked at the beginning of the semester, "yes" seemed like the right answer. Now, that the semester is over I know that the right answer is "yes" without a doubt. Technology is what drives our society. If we as educators are not up to part with the knowledge our students have then we will risk being labeled the "stupid" teacher. I personally want to be the teacher that gives her students all her best, and that goes home feeling like I made a difference. I want to be the teacher that even when the books are put away for summer and the students leave for endless days in the sun. I will be remembered fondly. I think this means being technologically literate.

Teachers should be learners- Miles

A teacher must never stop learning. If a teacher wants to be as effective as he/she can, they must keep leaning new techniques and skills. This also includes technology. Technology needs to be in the classroom. Technology is always changing and therefore teachers need to find, learn, and use the new technology. I will this kind of teacher. I love learning new and interesting things. As a teacher I will learn and use whatever it takes for my students to succeed.

You might wonder why teaching- Paola

My first summer out of high school I spent three magical weeks in the best place in the planet, Camp S.M.I.L.E. Which is a summer camp for kids with disabilities. I fell in love. Two weeks after camp was over, I had my South orientation and I changed my major from Biology with a minor on Pre-Vet. This was the biggest decision I ever made after I had talked about science since I was in the 4th grade! This was the best decision I ever made. I want to be the teacher that makes the difference in their lives. Many people over look special ed. kids, and they are often labeled. I want to show people that they are just like you and me.

Why I want to be a teacher!- Miles

There are so many reasons why I want to be a teacher. I enjoy working with children and making a difference in their lives. The reason I chose special ed. is because I have a sister with down-syndrome. I feel like my whole life I've been training for it. I also have seen great teachers and really bad teachers my sister has had. I know what it takes to be a great teacher and I will strive for perfection. The students deserve someone that can help and guide them to achieve success. And that is my goal for being a teacher.

EDM 310 by Paola

If there is one thing that EDM 310 has made me is very technologically aware. I never really payed much attention before, but now I see how technology is everywhere and it is a very essential part of our everyday lives. I think a place where technology has become an integral part of is the classroom. We learned about so many different tools in this class. Many of them are not geared towards special education classrooms. I will try to adapt Youtube, Google, and Smartboard into my classroom. I hope that my students will find all this tools an exciting way of learning.

EDM 310 by Miles

Technology in the classroom, is it a good idea? Yes it is. EDM 310 is a class that teaches future educators how to use technology in the classroom. I have learned so much in this class that I will use in my classroom. Since I am going to be a special ed. teacher. For this reason I will not use blogs and podcast in the classroom. I will use interactive video games, such as the Wii, to help build hand eye coordination. I will use movies, to teach them. Because I think movies are a fun way to learn. So I will not use super advance technology in the classroom, but technology needs to be utilized.