ED 205 Blog

My plan for professional development in regards to technology includes getting as involved and informed as I possibly can. Before taking this class, I never knew how many tools for helping teachers with technology actually existed. I have saved all of the helpful links and resources that have been given to me throughout the duration of this course, and plan to use them as resources when I have my own classroom.

One goal I have set for myself is to be well educated on the newest technologies available for classroom teachers. I plan to achieve this goal by constantly researching the ever changing technology field, and encouraging my school to be leaders in technology. Any form of technology committee, or team that my future workplace might have, I plan to be on! I want the school I teach at to be ground breakers in trying out new technology.

One thing I have recently considered doing in the future, is taking more classes to get some form of degree that would enhance my knowledge of technology as a teacher. After I teach for a few years, I believe I would go back to school and acquire another degree.

Another goal I have set for myself, is quite unusual. A friend of mine’s mother is a high school Media Specialist, and is one of the most educated people I have ever met in my life. She has a vast supply of resources at her fingertips, and is constantly encouraging her high school to believe that technology in their school is the best investment for the students. My goal is this: to somehow, someday, be able to be as knowledgeable as she is. I know she will help me along the way, and teach me things that I probably will not learn in college. I am very thankful for this extra resource I have to aid my accomplishments as a teacher.

Something I feel weak in right now is my ability to use technology properly in the classroom, so that it aids the curriculum. I feel that I would get so excited about some new form of technology, that I might be tempted to make a whole lesson just about all the things you can do with it! Although there is nothing wrong with learning about new technology, it should first and foremost enhance the curriculum. I hope that after several more years of school, and some student teaching, I will have a much better grasp on this.

1. The website is .org, which usually represents a more reliable website. At the bottom of the website it lists “stormfront” as the host, which is apparently a white nationalist organization. The domain does not seem to correspond to the content of the website.
2. There is no designated author, just the stormfront organization listed, and there is no date as far as I can tell, although some links do claim to be “new.” I can not truncate the website anymore, since it is a .org site.
3. The sources seem to be well documented, and it is unclear to me whether or not they have been altered. All of the links I clicked on were up and running, and all of the featured links support one main bias.
4. There are 630 other websites linking to martinlutherking.org. I googled MLK and the site showed up 2nd. I also googled stormfront, and it revealed many websites about “white survival and pro-white activism.”
5. It does NOT add up! The website seems to be put up to knock down MLK, not provide unbiased information about him. The web name “martinlutherking.org” seems to be a bit ironic to me.

I don’t believe this website is appropriate for use in schools because students shouldn’t necessarily be looking up information about white activists. Maybe if they’re older students, but most student who visit this website would be looking for information on MLK and the positive influence he had on our nation, not white activist information. Kids could learn to be less trusting by being required to complete a website evaluation, just like the one we completed before getting information off a website. If they know what to look for, they will be able to find unbiased information.