Hello, my name is Kaitlynn Charest and I am currently finishing up my Junior year at Southern New Hampshire University. I am working towards earning a BA in Middle School Mathematics where I hope to teach 8th grade math. I have always wanted to teach students and math comes easily to me, especially algebra.
My Vision
Technology is a controversial topic in the world of education. Many educators believe in using as much technology as possible. We are in a world where the children of today are constantly connected to technology and information is at their fingertips. Other educators believe in the old fashioned way of doing things, I am a strong believer in this way of teaching. I have learned very well from my teachers and I hope to inspire my students from my knowledge. I think technology is a great tool to have but not a means to teach.
Now this doesn't mean that I am against using technology in the classroom since let's face it my iPhone, Macbook, and iPad are everything to me and I am not sure how long I could last if they all broke at once. I just think it should be limited to research and projects. Mathematics is a hands on subject and I hope to inspire my students through my teaching.
Regardless of my thoughts on it, many school districts are encouraging it as much as possible. I have observed teachers who utilize their technology and there are ways to make it work. The students get excited to use something they are familiar with and can easily maneuver. The one piece of technology I am interested in learning more about is a TI Graphing Calculator. This may seem like a silly choice but I use mine on a daily basis for basic things and I would really love to learn more about all of the features they have.
Global Trends
When I was in high school, I needed a TI graphing calculator for all of my mathematics courses. I remember using it for graphs and equations along with simple operations. It has been many years since I was in high school and using many of the features. There are many features that I never learned about nor have I ever used them. This would be helpful for me to show my future students. Texas Instruments has a headquarters in Manchester, NH. This is as local as it can get for us.
It is not a resource that is limited to the united states though, Texas Instruments has locations all over the world. A few of their locations are in China, Italy, and Brasil. Students of all nationalities and economic standings have access to the technology that Texas Instruments offers. I think this is a great tool for everyone since the calculators can be set in a variety of languages. A calculator is a basic tool that can benefit all students. The one thing to be careful with when allowing students the chance to use these specific calculators is that students can download games to their calculator. So, it is a good idea to make sure they are using them for the purposes of education.
Lesson Ideas
Coming soon!
Technology Resources
My PortaPortal holds a variety of technology resources. It is a work in progress and will grow greatly throughout my career.
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