I hope that the idea of a tech trek creates some of the same mental images for anyone exploring this ePortfolio as it does for me. The original Star Trek and all the “devices of the future” filled my head when I thought of technology. These images, along with a belief that only someone as logical and, let’s face it, alien as Mr. Spock could really effectively use technology intimidated me. That’s how I felt about technology at the beginning of this class—filled with fear and certain that it really wasn’t for me! Now, as I complete this class, I like some of this technology and see many ways that it can help me to be a better teacher.

I see education as a balancing act, where teachers need a wide variety of techniques and activities to engage their students in learning. Lesson plans and activities need to be varied, and teachers need to be flexible and open to new ways of teaching. No two students are alike; no two students will approach learning in exactly the same way. Constructivism demands that teachers work hard to facilitate active and authentic learning. I believe there is room for some Behaviorist theory as well. The Multiple Intelligences theory has several interesting points.   Each of these theories has valid applications, and none of them provides an exclusive route to learning. Teachers need to decide when and how each theory is best applied. Each of these theories can be well-served by the use of technology in the classroom. Sometimes the technology itself is the big draw; other times, it enhances a learning opportunity, or it may actually create one that time, distance, or budget has previously prohibited.

As I have been on this trek through the world of educational technology, I have come to realize that the old saying “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” applies here too. The journey was a trip through the land of authentic learning, and I didn’t even realize it until midway through the trip. I was so busy completing tasks along the way that I didn’t step back and put the entire journey into perspective! When I had that “light bulb” moment, it was authentic learning at its finest. The bumpy ride into personally unchartered territory was starting to pull together into a wonderful adventure. I hope that I can take all that I have learned on this tech trek and use it to create authentic learning experiences for my own students.

Please explore this site and view it as a log of my tech trek.