"Uncountable Nouns" Lesson Matrix

Final Technology Matrix

                This technology matrix summarizes the standards, strategies, and technologies used in the lesson on "Uncountable Nouns". The following description will outline my lesson and provide you with insight on how these technologies will enhance learning for my students.

             First and foremost, I begin my lesson with a verbal Question and Answer (Q&A) assessment to gather information and assess my students' knowledge on uncountable nouns (Assess). The students will be able to practice different communication forms and collaborate in their opinions and answers. I will provide the accurate answers on the Chalkboard and my own definitions. Then, I will provide images of uncountable nouns on the overhead projector and appear on the Smartboard. The images will be in a Powerpoint presentation on a computer. Through this, students will be able to apply different reading strategies and comprehend information via graphic features. This set of activities will allow the students to make decisions on what images to  label as "uncountable nouns".

            Then we move on to the standard Analyze. In small groups, students will discuss the previous activity. I will provide students with graphic images/clips on the overhead projector and Smartboard. I would need internet access to do research. I will also provide examples of 3-D objects. In their small groups, students will collaboratively analyze these images and objects, label them as uncountable nouns or countable nouns, and provide explanations for their choices. Through this, students are learning how a group meets their decision, selecting and using appropriate digital tools, and engaging in technology problem solving and decision-making. These activities encourage students to analyze information and go through the step by step process of decision-making, in a small group environment. 

         To transition into the standards of Evaluate and Produce, students will be given their homework assignments. They will have to individually complete this assignment: using the internet, students must access and download the homework document onto their computer or laptop. They may open this assignment with Microsoft Word and print to out. The students must match the images with the corresponding noun type: uncountable or countable. They must research and provide the teacher with five uncountable noun images to bring to class the next day. Students will be able to produce a first, second, and third draft of this assignment. Each draft will be submitted to the teacher and the teacher will provide feedback. By giving this as a homework assignment, students are able to review and edit their work before submission. They are also required to use technology on their own account and create documents, navigate the internet, and use decision making tools such as Google or Bing. By the final draft, the teacher will have the opportunity to evaluate the students' progress.  The students will be knowledgeable in decoding and defining words and images. They will practice responsibility and ethical behavior by engaging in individual work. 

           Lastly, the closing portion of this lesson will focus on the standard Communicate. We will engage in an open discussion on the learning material. This will serve as a review for students and also as a way for them to share their opinions on the lesson. Students will be able to paraphrase some of their classmates ideas from the previous small-group activity. Then, the students will break up into pairs and have access to a computer, voice recorder, internet, and a microphone. Students will record their understandings, comments, and concerns on uncountable nouns. Students will practice ethical behavior, applying information they learned, and accessing recording materials. Ultimately, they will create a multimedia presentation on their overall understandings and misconceptions of uncountable nouns. They will learn how to access information effectively and contribute to their learning community through their original and personal ideas. Then students will log onto their email accounts via the internet and email their recordings and presentation to their teacher. This portion of the lesson will serve as a way to communicate and assess students' learning via technology. 

  

           

         

Textbooks on Nooks

Nook Tablet, Textbook Business

           The Education Week article above focuses on Microsofts $300 million investment in the Nook Tablet. The original goal was wipe out competition such as Apple and Amazon, and so the two companies, Microsoft and Barnes and Noble, collaborated in this plan. Their hopes are to make textbooks available via the Nook, primarily for college students. However, this article states that there is a possibility that these companies will include K-12 textbooks as well. How cool is that?

            As a future English teacher, I think this idea is brilliant. I am a Nook owner and download all of the novels for my courses on my Nook. It is such a convenience because I don't have to carry around a load of books. On this lightweight tablet, I have all the books I need for class. I also find it much easier and faster to read off of the Nook because the page lengths are much shorter. Now, imagine not having to carry around large textbooks?

           I really believe that having the Nook tablet readily available to students is a great way to motivate students to read and ultimately carry their books to class. I remember when I was in high school I used to dread carrying my textbooks around, especially when I had to carry two or three at a time because I did not have time to stop at my locker. I believe the Nook is a tool that can be used in any classroom and will really encourage students to do their reading assignments.

           However, there are some setbacks in using this device. First, it is very costly and for a school district that has a low budget, it might be extremely difficult to purchase Nooks for everyone. If there is not enough of them for each student, students cannot complete homework assignments. If this is the case, Nooks can only be used inside of the classroom. The second reason why this might be a challenge is because you make the student responsible for the damages and misplacement of the Nook. Because it would be considered school property, the student might have to pay for the damages or harm done to their assigned Nook. Do we really want to burden the students with this? 

        So again, I believe this is a great tool to have in the classroom. It can really enhance the willingness of the students to read. The Nook should be implemented in schools' curricula. However, I believe the safest way to go about this is to only use this device during school hours. What do you think?

Thoughtful Lesson Planning: Integrating Technology

Education Reform: Language and Technology

            The Huffington Post article above emphasizes the importance of carefully thinking out lesson plans when integrating technology. It mentions of disaster lessons because teachers just throw technology into the lesson without thinking about how it will enhance or hinder learning. The author of this article, Mirla Gonzalez, makes a valid point that technology should be used to enhance the students' learning experience and not draw away from it. Therefore, as 21st century teachers, I believe it is very important to carefully plan out a lesson, especially when using technology, and think of technology as an aid to facilitate and enrich learning the material.

         

         Gonzalez also expresses that the demand for STEM: Science, Technology, Enginneering, and Math, has taken away the importance of language in schools. A good program is one that can successfully integrate and balance all of these. Technology should not replace language; it should assist in making the learning of a language more exciting and worthwhile for students. 

           As future teachers with hopes to integrate technology into our lessons, I would advise everyone to really think about the technologies you plan to use. Do not use a specific technological device just because it is the most common and popular among adolescents at the moment, which is what we saw in this article with that grade school teacher. Think about how this device can facilitate and enhance the learning experience for that group of students. Remember that all students and classes will be different, so think about what works best with a particular group of students. Lesson planning, in general, is something that requires much thought and planning. When integrating technology in your lesson plans, you want students to see it much more than an easy way out; you want them to be challenged even if they are in their comfort zone because they are working with technology. Through each other's blogs we have learned of different programs, devices, and methods of integrating technology in our lessons that can be beneficial to us and our students. However, let's make sure that we are not getting so caught up in the uniqueness of the technology and forgetting about our original goal in using it.

     

Stop Cyberbullying

Stop Cyberbullying website

           I will touch upon my previous blog post titled "Cyberbullying via Social Networking". The previous article about cyberbullying really affected me and I continued to do some research on the matter. There are various sites provided that stand against this, however, Stop Cyberbullying was the one that I found to be the most user-friendly and beneficial.

            How many of you were bullied in school? Outside of school? Both? Even if you weren't, as teachers, we are responsible for stopping these hateful and hurtful acts. This website provides students with information on the meaning of bullying, prevention, and online forums. It also allows parents to share their stories, and give each other advice on how to solve their child's bullying issues. Stop Cyberbullying makes itself more credible by providing the written law on bullying for its viewers to read. This website's target audience is teens who are struggling with being bullied or are the bully. They can participate in an online survey to test their etiquette. The end results let them know where they stand on the bully to victim scale and provide them with information on how to improve and be a better person.

              I believe this technological device can be very beneficial to our students. Even if we do not witness bullying in our classrooms, this piece of material can help stop bullying before it begins. Although the focus is cyberbullying, it teaches students about bullying in general. It also teaches a students how to to be a good person overall. Students have greater access to this organization because it has its own website. It will be helpful to mention this website in class and ask students to visit it. It would even be nice to ask students to come in with a couple facts and questions they have about cyberbullying or bullying in general. It is important to make students aware of the consequences of bullying. Through use of this website, we can help advocate against bullying much faster.

Preparing Students for Financial Success

TechCrunch Article

 Attention all high school teachers and parents: 

        This article focuses on the financial management company Tykoon and its development of an app for the iPhone. This app teaches kids to manage their finances and think about the ways in which they use their money. It controls kids' expenses by tracking their spendings in a child-friendly Amazon store. This apps moralizes children by having them perform chores to receive money and rewards. This also shows parents how to push children to reach their goals based on merit.

     
         In an educational setting, this app should be presented to high school students, particularly Juniors and Seniors. It can help them learn how to save money for college and life after high school. It teaches them appropriate work ethic by suggesting that one must work to gain money or any other satisfaction and reward. This app can be used as early as Freshmen year in math, business, or finance class to assist students in learning about money. Also, this application should be implemented in a Freshmen college course to prepare incoming students for monetary management.

         There are many benefits in using this application from the early childhood ages and beyond. This is an educational app that can enhance financial security in students' lives. However, everyone may not have access to this app, and therefore, it would be more difficult to make it a requirement in schools. However, the teacher should make students aware that an app like this one does exist. Personally, if I was given this option during high school, it would help me a great deal in the future years. I have always struggled with saving, and I could have really benefited from this app if it were made available to me. Therefore, I know other students and parents will find the positives in downloading and using this app. 

Can You Be My Friend, Ms. Marti?

Education Week Article

      Do you think teachers and students should be friends on Facebook? To go on from the previous blog post I wrote on Social Networking: Facebook has become a huge part of today's communication. As mentioned in this article, emails and letters are no longer ways that youngsters communicate. Still, teachers must learn to draw boundaries in the social networking world. Yes, Facebook has many benefits and builds on students' social skills, however, it can also damage the relationship between teacher and student and be the cause of career loss. Therefore, as teachers, we must be extremely careful about what we post on Facebook pages, even if we are not friends with any of our students. Employers are investigating inappropriate activity on teacher and substitute pages. But let's say your Facebook page is PG, would you still friend your students? 

      As a current teacher in three dance studios in NJ, I refuse to accept any of my students' requests on Facebook. My page does not contain anything inappropriate, however, in my opinion, it is not professional for students to have access to your Facebook page and you to theirs. I think there are other more appropriate ways to reach students: email, phone, mail, and so on. It is true that less and less youngsters are using email as a  means of communication but as teachers, we can make this more common. At the start of the marking period or semester, we can inform students that they need to have an email account. You should give them an estimate on how many times during a week they should check their email. This information should be verbalized and written down for students. This is a good way of letting students know your expectations as a teacher and their expectations as students. Granted, I would love to form connections with my students that go beyond the classroom. I want them to be able to rely on me, however, Facebook is not a way to enhance that relationship.

Cyber-bullying via Social Networks

Education Week Article

        Bullying is a major problem in today's schools. With technology becoming such a big part of our youth's lives, bullying is moving outside of the classroom, onto the streets, and into social networks. As mentioned in this article, students are creating fake facebook pages, twitter accounts, and so on to make their peers look bad. One case stated in this article also shows that students have impersonated school faculty members and posted offensive messages via social networks. As teachers, we have a responsibility to minimize bullying and encourage students to respect each other and ourselves by modeling how they should behave. But how do we monitor their behavior outside of the classroom? When is it OK to limit the use of technology? This is a concern I have as a future teacher.

        It is not true to say that technology causes these behaviors; people are responsible for bullying. However, it is true that bullying has become a larger problem throughout the years and the availability of technology and social networking has added onto that. The internet is very high speed and many youngsters have access to it. Messages, whether good or bad, circulate much faster. Social Networking applications are readily available on smartphones and students can have access to them in a matter of seconds. As teachers, I believe it is important to be aware of these conditions and restrict the use of cellular devices and computers for social purposes. These devices should only be used to complete assignments and engage in educational games. It is up to you how to handle it but by making students aware of the cruelty of bullying is a start. We would hope they would instill your anti-bullying values outside of the classroom as well. How would you encourage your students to use technology as a way of doing something positive for their community?

E-Rater: Dumbing Down Writing

New York Times article

        After reading this article, I am pretty sure that I won't be using this computerized grading system although it works significantly faster. There are more problems to e-Rater than there is advantages. Truth is, if we as teachers begin to use it, we will shift our focus from facts and substantial arguments to sentence structure and use of vocabulary. This is not necessarily a bad thing when balanced with other writing skills such as the clarity, purpose, and so on. However, e-Rater pays no attention to the facts and only focuses on students' ability to create a complete sentence with big words. Is this more important than proposing a valid argument and information?

       As a future English teacher, I refuse to use e-Rater because studies prove it to be unreliable although more convenient. I feel that it will completely dumb down students writing skills by having them write to e-Rater's expectations. Students would feel obligated to use a lot of vocabulary and words that they are unfamiliar with. They will probably only use them because they know if they do, e-Rater will give them a higher score. Students will not be motivated to establish meaning behind their writing once they discover that e-Rater doesn't really care if they do. If I were to completely depend on e-Rater, my students will soon begin understand the pattern and requirements it has when grading. Students would not be interested in developing their writing skills. Students would not understand what they are writing because it won't make much sense. Truth is, although I am an advocate for integrating technology in this classroom, I choose not to use this is my classroom. The only way I would consider using this is if it was completely revised and focuses on a wider range of writing skills. After reading this article, what are your takes on this robo-reader?

Scholastics' Read 180: Helps Teachers and Students

Teaching Software Flooding Into New Jersey Classrooms

                The news article/ recording above focuses on the Scholastics Software, Read 180.  This is a computer based software that assists in improving students' reading skills and informing the teacher of the skill gaps in the classroom. Asbury Park School District has begun implementing this software in their schools to improve test scores of ELL students and those who are struggling in reading. In the article, opposing views are presented about this program and its use in New Jersey schools.

           The Asbury Park school district qualifies for state funding because it houses many immigrants from Haiti and Mexico and are in need of these tools to tend to their needs. At first sight of the program, the teachers were against it because they feared their ELL students would not be able to understand the technology. However, when they began to recognize improvement in students' reading skills, they continued on with it. This software is beneficial to teachers as well because it informs them on what they need to pay more attention to and teach more in detail. Other opposing views include the lack of visuals such as: seeing the teacher's mouth move as she/he reads, and lack of facials and body language to distinguish emotions. There is also the issue of typing v. writing, and how writing is a better and faster way for students to grasp knowledge. 

   

               Regardless of the views, this article points out that Read 180 has really benefited students in improving test scores and their reading skills. I believe this can be an amazing tool to use as an English teacher. This tool could be used not only with ELL students, but also with students with disabilities and the overall student body. I think any child or young adult could really benefit from this program because it targets specific needs and classifies students depending on their skills and/or lack of. It also can assist me as a teacher to know what I need to teach more of and what the students are struggling with. Both students and teachers learn to be more efficient in their work through this program. Although it is a bit costly, I truly hope this is an investment that many schools will eventually look into because it could raise test scores in NJ and build on students' knowledge in general. 

Would you use this in your classroom? Why or why not?

Interactivity #5

Spreadsheet

         The teacher interviewed is a 9-12 grade Spanish and ESL teacher in the West New York School District . Based on the answers provided on the survey, this teacher was familiar with the NETS-S and NETS-T. When she first read the question, she asked me if those were the national standards in Technology and Engineering and I reassured her that they were. After a reminder, she was able to recall what they were. The following is what I discovered through her completion  of my interview based on the NETS survey: 

        The West New York school district has begun to implement the NETS for students and the NETS for teachers. The teacher stated that the NETS are used at her school along with  the NJCSS. Teachers are encouraged to use them whenever they are working with technology in or outside of the classroom. In any classroom that integrates technology, the use of these standards is optional. The teacher mentioned that these standards and the resources needed to satisfy these objectives are provided at professional development workshops and the teachers are strongly advised to use them. The school is making the transition as more and more technology is becoming an essential part of the classroom. With promethean boards, computers, and so on, the teachers are encouraged to include these standards in their lesson plans.

         I was surprised with the responses of the teacher. I did not expect for her to utilize technology in her classroom and in her lesson plans. I have written a lot of lesson plans throughout my college experience and have not come across these standards. I expected the teacher to have the same unawareness. After discovering that she did know them, I was even more surprised because I had not yet been informed until this activity. I did not know what the standards were and at first mention, I had to do some research on them. I was impressed in discovering that urban areas, such as West New York, are slowly transitioning into using these standards and integrating more technology in their curricula. Through her responses, I realized that the NETS are starting to be taken seriously. 
        As a future teacher, I would promote the use of NET-S and NETS-T. I will include these standards in my lesson plans and write them on the board whenever necessary. I will spread the word of the new and revised NETS and encourage teachers to use them whenever they are working with technology in their classrooms. With technology becoming an enormous part of our society, it is beneficial if all teachers are familiar with and/ or implement these standards in their lessons. As I previously mentioned in my most recent blog, education will become solely digital by 2017. If this is true, the NETS-S and NETS-T should be recognized by all schools as the focus to an innovative way of approaching our lessons. The NETS target a the learning objectives of our technology-based education setting.

Education Online?

Teach your classes online?

"That’s why a New York-based startup called Powhow is launching its public beta today, which aims to allow anyone and everyone (with a webcam) to find and take classes in subjects like fitness, cooking, music, arts, DIY, and crafting from curated rosters of professional, credentialed instructors all over the world. During its private beta, over 600 students and instructors have been using Powhow to bake souffles, learn to play heavy metal guitar, sew bikinis, and sculpt abs."


           This article focuses on the development of education and the changes that are occurring because of the busy lifestyle of our generation. More and more people are relying on online videos to learn a subject. They are depending on online software to communicate and hold conferences with others over long distances. Solely in my college experience, I have seen more online classes being integrated in the semesters. Not only has the webcam taken over the business and work force, but also, it is beginning to have a huge impact on education.
           This article led me to think about the way education will be in a couple of years. Another article from Education Magazine stated that education in the United States will become completely digital by 2017. This same article showed that Florida's education will become fully digital by the end of 2012. This concerns me. I feel that in a classroom it very important to form personal relationships with your students and be available whenever they need help. I feel that instruction becomes less personal through webcam and online videos. Although it has its benefits and is at the tip of everyone's fingertips, it lacks many of the advantages of physically being in a classroom setting.
        Another aspect of this Powhow that concerned me was that students need to have access to internet connection, a webcam, and a credit card. In urban areas, such as where I went to high school, the students do not have these luxuries. I remember many of the students in my high school had to go to a library to complete homework that required internet connectivity. Also, when some students discovered they needed to make a trip to the library to complete their homework, they chose to not go through that trouble and refused to do it. Also, our libraries did not have computers with webcams and many of the students did not own a credit card. They came from families with bad credit that could not sign up for another credit card or were simply in debt. Also, I remember students that enjoyed going to school and having class in the school because it was an escape from their lives at home. I believe instruction via this software would only complicate things in an urban setting. Maybe, it will work in a more affluent community. Still, I do not agree with education becoming completely digital because it deprives the students of many of the in-class benefits.

Factual: Just the Facts. Yes, All of Them.

Article

          This New York Times' article focuses on a site that provides information that is proved to be factual. The site, Factual, was founded by an investor and inventor, Gil Elbaz. Gil Elbaz was particularly interested on creating a site that provides solely facts, even "unusual facts". I found this article to be interesting because it is a site that can be trusted by schools, teachers, and students for gathering all kinds of data.

          Factual, if proved to contain only accurate data, can be a very helpful tool for people in the educational field to use. As a current student and former teacher, I always question the accuracy of information found on online websites when I am doing research for an assignment. I have heard repeatedly from some teachers to not use Wikipedia or sources that end with .com or .org. For so many of my research papers, I have had to rely on databases such as Jstor or EbscoHost. However, I can not always find what I am looking for, especially if it is information that is not given much attention to. After reading this article, I realized that Factual could be the perfect site for students to use when completing assignments that require research. As Gil Elbaz stated, Factual would not only include popular information but also very unusual information that is not given much thought. It can act as another reliable source of information alongside the other most commonly used databases when students are required to do some research. This would be a nice tool for student's in my English class to use when they are brainstorming for and constructing research papers.

         Also, Factual can also be used for other curiosities. As stated in the article, it provides information on schools. This would be an excellent tool for parents to use when trying to learn more about their children's school district and community. If Elbaz's goals are achieved, Factual can serve as a useful technological tool for students, parents, and teachers.

Interactivity #4

Click here: Dance Lesson Plan Spreadsheet

          The lesson plan I chose, Bob Fosse and Dance in America: From Broadway, "Fosse", caught my attention because it incorporated multiple forms of technology. I had not yet found a lesson plan with this much incorporation of media until this one. It is interesting because it relies on past media such as clips of Fosse's choreography from 1973 and music videos from present day television.

        Although this lesson plan idea was brilliant, it lacked organization of the standards and materials/ technologies. For instance, only two of the dance standards were listed on the lesson plan when the activities covered several more of them. The only materials listed at the beginning of the lesson plan were the movies that were to be viewed in class. There was no mention of the technologies that the students needed to have access to in order to complete the assignments. 

       In order to reach the goals of the lesson, all the technologies listed on the spreadsheet are needed. However, because student's might not have access to these outside of school, it is important for the teacher to be sure these technologies are accessible in school to proceed with the lesson's activities. If students are unable to complete the homework assignment because they do not have video recorders, the teacher can modify the lesson. However, the technologies must be available somewhere to successfully perform the activities and for the students to view and analyze these dances. These technologies are necessary for the students to fully understand Fosse and distinguish between choreographic structures, artistic influences and styles, and the meanings behind dances. 

          

Interactivity #3: Reflection

            This interactivity was interesting in so many ways. Our group worked very well together. Initially, Greg tried to get us to be time efficient with this group project and sent out the first email to remind us of the assignment. Shelby set up a meeting for the group, which we later decided not to go through with because it was much easier to accomplish this task online. We all contributed our ideas to the spreadsheet that Katie created. We kept the communication strong between all of us. It was a very pleasant experience. I believe we all had something to learn from one another.

           

           I believe the inventory list will benefit me in so many ways present day and in my future years of teaching. There are so many technological tools that I learned about while working on this Interactivity. I found it even more interesting that a lot of these devices are free or have free trials. I believe that as future teachers, and with technology growing, these tools will soon become essential in our classrooms.

            

          Although as a group our main goal was to look for technological aids that can assist us in the English classroom, a lot of these devices can be transferred to other content areas. As an English and Dance Education major, I realized that a lot of the tools can be used in Dance classes as well. Some of the technologies we included were, online blogging, Purdue education writing lab, video and sound recordings, Easy Bib, and so on. A lot of these websites can assist students in achieving there goals cross curricular. These devices benefit students by enhancing their vocabulary, structuring their essays, building on conversation skills, and practicing different methods of studying. All of these can help them improve in other subject areas.

           Therefore, I believe this Interactivity spreadsheet assignment can not only be useful to teachers but also to students. It informs students of what technological tools are accessible to them. It helps teachers be creative in constituting their lessons and making sure that they cover all areas of language and literacy. It can also help teachers make sure they tend to the needs of different learner types: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and so on. The google spreadsheet device is also a convenient way of communicating ideas to others without having to meet in person. This device can be used outside of the classroom since distance is not an issue with Google spreadsheet.

           

Interactivity #2: Texts on the Web in an English Classroom

Student: "If it's not on the internet, I am not going to waste my time reading it".

Interactivity #1: What Technology Does For Me...

        The three forms of technology I rely on the most are my iPod, laptop, and cell phone. These technologies have shaped the way I live today. In many ways, they have facilitated my way of communicating with others and receiving information. They have also assisted me a great deal with knowledge comprehension. These are some of the ways in which these technological tools have benefited my life.

  

As a dancer, and dance/dance fitness instructor, I have become heavily dependent on my iPod. It is my little treasure chest filled with international rhythms. My iPod has a variety of music from all over the world, and because of this, I have been able to closely listen to and examine music. I have been able to culturally identify different genres of music through repetitively listening and finding connections between the language, instruments, and themes involved. If I did not have an iPod, I would not have this quick and easy access to the music from all over the world in a small portable device, whenever I pleased. My iPod and the music it holds has helped me learn and understand different cultures.

Because I work and interact with others on a daily basis, my cellular phone is a convenient means of communication. I use my cell phone to communicate for business, pleasure, and so on. I have my cell phone on me wherever I go and it is the best way to reach me. When I am in my car, I connect my cell phone to the Bluetooth and am able to call someone with voice recognition, so that I do not have to use my hands. By dialing a few numbers, saying a couple of words, and/or texting a few letters, I can keep up to date with what goes on throughout the day.

I believe my laptop to be the one technological device with which I can squeeze out the most juices. It has so many purposes and from it, I can acquire so much information in a click. I use my laptop for writing documents, research, Facebook, Skype, the Internet, downloading music, and so on. It is handy in so many ways and really facilitates all aspects of my career, personal life, and so on. 

I believe myself to be very similar to the adolescents in the two videos. We all use technology for the same purposes, primarily for pleasure and for school. However, unlike the students of the first video, I have continuous access to technology. I have access to technology in school, at home, in the library, at a friend’s house, and so on. Fortunately, technology is readily available to me when I need it. However, I understand that that is not the case with everyone. In my teaching career, I am going to come across many students that are not fortunate enough to have a computer, cell phone, or other useful technological tool. As a teacher, I must take this into consideration and try not to make technology be the only means of acquiring information for my students. But with the way and speed things are changing, I believe technology will become a huge part of schools’ curricula. What then? As a teacher, I must take this matter into my hands and make sure students have some access to technology, even if it be only at school or at the library. I must be certain that these options are available, for they are and will remain available to myself. 

My name is Emily Marti. I am currently in my fourth year as a full-time student at Montclair State University. I am Cuban- American and I am very proud of my heritage. Because of my fascination with culture, I am studying to teach both Dance and English to others. I am a dance and Zumba fitness instructor at three studios in New Jersey. I am looking forward to share my passion for teaching in this course and and for years to come.