The impact of the shift of technology

It seems like only yesterday that I was standing outside the library doors of the Middle School complaining to a, much younger colleague, Andrew Rogers, that I wish I had another approach to teaching the theme that I was about to. It was 2006.  He suggested I look up the theme on YouTube.  “My tube”, I replied, “what’s my tube?”  He laughed at me and began to explain about uploading videos to this website.  I could not comprehend what he was saying. I thought do I have to make a video and somehow connect it to the internet? How will that help me to teach my lesson?  It took me a few weeks to check it out.  I fell in love!  At home, I watched hours and hours of music videos. I did not use it in class much until three years ago.  It takes time to find something on Youtube that I believe will be professional, applicable to the lesson, and interesting to the students.  Now I use it regularly, professionally and personally. For the last two years I have used the following YouTube video in order to teach the verb endings for Preterite “AR” verbs. Tik Tok - Spanish Preterite AR verbs. I have had to warn the students to stop sing the song during quizzes and tests!

Just look at us taking this class!  I do not have to rearrange my schedule or travel to a campus in order to participate.  In 1997 I lost my job at the end of the fourth year at a high school in Florida because I had not yet taken a class about teaching Spanish in the elementary grades.  The class was offered only at the University of Miami every other January, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Never mind the fact that I never planned on teaching at the elementary level, how was I supposed to take a class and work at the same time? It was devastating and I felt defeated. I moved back to Massachusetts with my husband and family; we had to sell our home.  That would never happen today with the innumerable online classes available.

Although the idea of technology frightens me, I have lived long enough to know that it is possible to understand and learn when and how to use technology in the 21^st Century Classroom and in my personal life.  The impact of technology has transformed me.  My three children, who range in age from 23 to 30, are plugged in… always.  Two of them and their families live in our house.  We text each other when supper is ready or any other message if we are not on the same floor because it is so much more civil than screaming up and down staircases.  We use online searches continually…What time is the game, what is the weather supposed to be, did you see that post on Facebook?  The impact is profound and breathtaking!