Today was such a good class! I am so grateful to have been able to hear Jesse Miller speak on the importance of technology use in the classroom and also the cautiousness and awareness that teachers must exercise when using social media platforms.

Jesse discussed a wide variety of topics today, but one that I was really intrigued by was the idea of creating a classroom environment where phones aren’t taken away – because students don’t feel like they need their phones in the first place. He said that boundaries and expectations are powerful and can ultimately change how students feel about using their phones in your classroom. It isn’t necessarily about encouraging the additional use of phones during class time, but also not dismissing the fact that technology can be of more benefit than loss. Healthy conversations are important because they build trust with students. I always felt like I wasn’t trusted by a teacher when they took my phone away. I wanted to respect their boundries, but they weren’t even giving me a chance in the first place.

As our society is changing at such a fast rate, and I haven’t even received my degree yet, I know these are topics I will need to be considering as I look ahead to actually teaching students. How can I teach them about healthy uses of technology? What are the ways we can demonstrate teacher-to-student trust and respect when using technology? Jesse also brought up the question “what do I want posted online that tells my story, other than my resume?” I figure now is a great time to start answering that question.

I know this is just the beginning of my learning on this topic, and today’s class inspired me to keep going.

(Header photo taken from Unsplash user @martinshreder)