As an educator on the rise, I am ecstatic that I took a technology class (Web Tools) to add more resources to my educator’s toolbox.  I entered this semester as a with a void in my arsenal as an educator of how to integrate various forms of technology into my Pre-K classroom. Now midway through the semester, I have discovered a plethora of technology designed specifically for the classroom. I have discovered with a click of the mouse my class and I can travel around the world and back in minutes as we explore, define, exchange, collaborate, communicate, and learn from other regions. The lessons and hands-on activities have not only taught me but shown me that how to become a global educator and how to model empathy while using a positive voice with every stroke of my keyboard. I am learning the importance technology has in every aspect of everyday life which makes it a priority for me as an educator to teach my students to become positive global citizens. It is vital for all students to discover that the world is bigger than their neighborhood and rich with a mosaic tapestry of people with diverse backgrounds. This is our duty as educators to ensure our classrooms and neighborhoods are flattened to produce well-rounded students equipped to enter the workforce.

One resource I’ve discovered during this semester is one that stands out the most for me right now. I actually received this particular device for free before the semester and used it once or twice with minimal enthusiasm I place it back in its box where it is now collecting dust. However, with this weeks blog assignment, I have the opportunity to talk about what I have learned thus far this semester.  Week after week I have read a lot of tweets, blogs, and online magazines dedicated to educational technology and other techs for the classroom. The resource I choose is a great device to enhance lessons for small children to be engulfed as they make connections to the world around them. This special device I choose this week is my Virtual Reality Goggles (VR).

As the world changes on a constant basis so do technology and all it has to offer.  What I have learned is that technology is what motivates most children in today’s world. The children in this generation learn how to use cell phones, tablets, computers, laptops and so on, so why not use it in the classroom to teach. Teachers who have started using technology in the classroom see a significant difference in the way their students learn and comprehend. I feel that the school systems should want to help expand the minds of our children and help with what could be their future in the technology world. Our teachers need more support and more training to teach the new ways education is changing.

Using virtual reality in the classroom can revolutionize the way students expand concepts such as habitats of animals on other continents, global weather patterns, space, ocean life, and so on. We can broaden the understanding of customs, traditions, rituals, diets, education, language, locations, and the list go on. VR use in education is a great way to flatten the walls so teachers and students engage aspects of the world man has not been able to explore. I found a wonderful TED Talk video speaking about the using virtual reality can revolutionize a Science classroom while making the teacher more effective. VR can be exactly what America needs to stimulate so growth and development within the area of S.T.E.M for students. I look forward to exploring more ways to integrate technology into my classroom, school, community, and my life.