Individual Technology Assessment

     When I saw the definition of technology in the power point provided  "… a broad term dealing with the use and knowledge of tools and crafts." (Wikipedia, 2006),  I started to think about the tools I have used over the years in my teaching experience. Of course I've used things like the overhead projector when I taught 5th grade- old school, but effective for standard lessons that I didn't want to write over and over again on the board.  I prefer to use my computer, a Mac, to teach through Power Point presentations, Keynote presentations and You Tube clips. I taught my 5th graders how to use Power Point to create their own presentations. I also like to photograph my students with a digital camera while they're working, which the older students later used in applications like Comic Life to create their own comic strip or poster.  I  am learning the ins and outs of using the new projectors, which we use in the computer lab and in classrooms with Promethean boards. I've taken lessons at our school to become more proficient at using these tools.  I would like to be able to use the Promethean board with my pre-k students to make daily activities, like the calendar, interactive and fun and to show video clips of the students doing things like counting, presenting playground rules, reviewing color words or shapes, and singing songs with motions.  They love to watch themselves on the big screen.  I'm working with a colleague, who uses the Promethean board daily, to learn how to do these things. I'm amazed at how technology has changed during the 16 years that I've been teaching.  I hope that I can keep up with the changes to come.