Introduction

"Teach the children well" -- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

For almost a decade, it has been my goal to have my own classroom. Interestingly, as future or present teachers in this generation, technology has become a major part of the classroom experience. My expectations for this course, then, are to learn the tools to incorporate technology in a meaningful way for my students with intellectual disabilities and autism. This means not just using technology to gain their trust by learning their individual interests and strengths, but also to use technology in a vocational way to help our students become independent and contributing members of our society.

My experience with technology and teaching has been almost minimal. I completed my bachelor of science degree at New York University with a major in Social Studies Education 7-12. I decided to get into special education at the age of 22 when I learned something very important about myself--I didn't have the knowledge yet to teach my own class because I was lacking special education training. So I ended up at TC's ID/Autism program, which has completely changed my life. I am now a 6:1:1 teacher in a TEACCH model classroom, and am learning everyday how tremendous the role is that technology plays in our students' lives.

My experience learning technology in the past has been positive. I am a very fast learner, and I don't require much explanation or repetition when it comes to technology. I am relatively comfortable with new technology, provided its relative interest and importance to me. When I am excited about a new piece of technology, where it is a physical piece that I can hold or a new software, I can be playing with it nonstop for days. To that end, my technological learning style is definitely one of exploration--I am not the type of person to ever look at an owner's manual or instruction guide. When it comes to technology, I am purely adventure and exploration without a map, and nothing more.In order to learn technology well, I believe people need a personal interest or some type of intrinsic motivation that guides them to learn more. I also think people need time for the trial-and-error nature that consumes people with new technology.

Martinez’s article resonated with me. There was one point when I believe he was completely spot on, when he said, “If a large and complex problem seems daunting as a whole, perhaps one can summon the will to accomplish a small piece of it. And that success can motivate one to persist.” In this way, just accomplishing a small part of a large task gives you the momentum and confidence to continue working. 

This is particularly true for me now because I am a first year teacher, and there is a lot of work to be done and mistakes to be made. But it is the momentum of continuing the small pieces that makes the large big picture less of a problem. This can also be applied to technology, in that there are many SNAFU’s and mishaps that occur in technological activities, and this outlook can definitely play a part in bringing technology back together once it fall apart, as it inevitably does sometimes in our imperfect world!