Interview with a Future Educator

My little sister, Rebecca Warnberg, is also attending the University of South Alabama in hopes of obtaining a degree in Elementary Education. She is a freshman and has not taken EDM 310 yet. I wanted to know what she thought about technology in the classroom. Here's what she had to say:
Caitlyn: In your opinion, what makes a technologically literate teacher?
Rebecca: A tech literate teacher knows how to use Microsoft Office and the internet.
Caitlyn: So, you don't think that teachers should know , for example, how to blog, use Skype, or use a Promethean board?
Rebecca: I think those things may be useful, but they're not necessary for someone to be a good teacher.
Caitlyn: Do you think that teachers should at least be familiar with these things so that they could use them in the classroom?
Rebecca: Yes.
Caitlyn: Should all teachers be tech literate?
Rebecca: Yes.
Caitlyn: Could you explain that answer? Earlier you said that all teachers needed to know was Microsoft Office and how to use the internet.
Rebecca: Like I said before, those are the basics. Other things might be useful, but they are not what makes a good teacher. I don't think teachers need to know much technology in order to run a classroom effectively.
Caitlyn: How would you use technology in your classroom (if you would at all)?
Rebecca: I plan to teach kindergarten. I don't anticipate using much technology with children of that age. If I do end up teaching an older grade, I might have my students play interactive computer games, but I can't see using them very much.
Caitlyn: Thank you for your time Rebecca.
Rebecca: Technology is stupid.

I'm glad that Rebecca will have to take EDM 310 in the future. She need sto be exposed to other opinions and ideas. Even if she doesn't change her mind, I think it will be good for her to be exposed to all of the ways that technology can be used in the classroom.

What Do We Value As Educators?

A discussion of what Elizabeth and I think are important in any classroom and what we think is important when teaching literature and composition specifically.

EDM 310 by Caitlyn Warnberg

EDM 310 is a class I have been taking that is supposed to be teaching me how to utilize technology in the classroom. In the beginning, I was a little resistant to it. I now see that education can be made better by technology. However, I do think that there are a lot of people who are so caught up in the zeal of using technology in the classroom that they miss out on their students and the material that they are supposed to be teaching. To be completely honest, this subject is getting so old. I don't know if I ever want to talk or read about technology in the classroom again. I wish I didn't feel this way.