Questions from Stacey~~
1. What do you see in the future in regards to technology and educational technology?
I think using technology in teaching is truly a trend in this information age. Being a technology-using teacher is also an inevitable path for teachres nowadays.
Technology already plays an important role in teaching and learning today. It can't be denied that using technology in education has quite a lot advantages.
Besides, in some ways teachers and students rely on technology more and more in recent years.
I don't think that teachers will be relpaced someday, but teachnology integration will definitely be used to assisit teaching and learning processes.
2. If you were granted $20,000 to use in your school for educational technology, how would you use it?
I would divide 20000 US dollars into 3 parts.
The first part will be used on training and enhancing teachers' teachnology ability. Teachers need time and training to faciltate learning using technology and integrating technology into teaching.
The second part will be used on upgrading hardware such as computers, computer labs and peripheral devices. But firstly administrors and teachers should evaluate teachers' and students' needs and potential , and then decide to renew or purchase supproting physical components.
The needs of students with disabilities should be concerned as well.
The third part will be focusd on software.
After evaluating the need of teaching and learning, purchase some helpful educational software to integrate technology.
3. How would you use a portfolio (think about grants, raises, changes in position, like the building techie, etc.)
I would create a professional teaching porfolio to demonstrate my expansion of educational knowledge and teaching skills over time.
Nowadays teachers are asked to be evaluated by porviding specific teaching portfolios in Taiwan. In a few years later, teachers will possibly be classified according to their performance in professional teaching field. So it's time to get myself prepared well enough to meet the expectation from the school and parents.
Besides, I can also show my taching portfolios to parents to gain good reputation and self-confidence.
Porforlios will play an important role in providing evidence of personal growth in teaching career for teachers in the future.
Actually I had ever created and designed a teaching portfolio of teaching phonics to 2nd graders and teaching English reading to 5th graders, and fortunately I won a prize in the teaching portfolio competition of Taipei City. So I have some good experience and I hope someday I can design a digital teaching portfolio to highlight my ability to use technology.
4. What would you or have you included in a portfolio -- think back to the one you needed to create for Undergrad and/or to get your current job (this can be paper or electronic or a combo)
Supporting documentation, artifacts, educational philosophy, and reflection journals should all be included in a portfolio.
Supporting ducumentation includes a table of conents, personal information, and credits.
Artifacts might include resumes, certificates, unit lesson plans, lesso plans, curriculum planning, student assessments, parent's feedback and so on.
Education philosophy and beliefs, reflection of teaching should be included in a portfolio, too.
The most important of all, I will select artifacts that represent my achivement in professional teaching career.
I would like to create a digital portfolio when my ability of using technology is enhanced someday. Though it'll be a time-consuming porcess, I would still give it a try.