I think technology is a big part the future, so it is very important for students and teachers alike to familiarize themselves with it. I am sure that there will be a lot of virtual classrooms in the future which is how I think and what I hope I will be using technology for in times to come. However, in a hands-on teaching class room, I think I would use technology to communicate with students outside of classroom time. Usually, the time allocated for a specific subject is never quite enough to answer every students' question, or to have them do discussions with other members of their class. With the current technology we have, and the opportunities we have to use such programs or tools like blackboard, the students can raise their questions outside of class time, and they can also have a discussion on some ideas and issues that will be brought up in a blackboard discussion room.
Besides that, I think using primarily technology for education can help a lot of people who are handicapped. I would like to be involved in and encourage the usage of virtual classroom. This way, someone who is lame need not have to spend the time and energy to go to class. Someone who is deaf can have the option of reading the material or translating what the teacher teaches into something they can read, and someone dumb can still get their message across more easily and without feeling judged. Hence, I think in my future virtual classroom, that is how I will use technology-to reach to all kinds of people no matter what race they are and no matter what 'handicap' they may have.
I have had teachers who used blackboard as a way of having a discussion and I think that that is a very good idea because it gives students, especially those who do not like to speak up in class, a chance to voice out their opinions without feeling like everyone is watching and judging. Also, you get more students voicing their opinions in such a discussion setting because there is no time restriction, as opposed to just a classroom setting which is time restricted.
In this class, I hope I am able to familiarize myself with making a website, and using the tools available to communicate to others through online methods. I hope to be able to learn how to do distance-teaching, or distance-communicating. I also know that there are many tools available online to help make learning more convenient and accessible and I want to be able to learn how to use these tools so that i can help whoever I teach, with no barriers.
