Introductory Post
Greetings to all! I’m Meenu, a full-time education student in the teaching, learning, and leadership programme from India. This is my first course in educational technology and my third master’s-level course overall.. Currently I work part-time as a lead instructor for a U.S.-based Edtech company Engineering for kids. In my five years of varied teaching experience, I have worked both in schools and modern Edtech companies as a STEM instructor. My experience gave me the opportunity to work with national and international students online from across countries such as the U.K and the United States in a very interactive and engaging format. Without the use of technology, it would not have been possible, so I can say with certainty that education technology has had influenced my career on many levels.
My experience with various Ed tech’s sparked my curiosity to explore more about the education technology in general., I am intrigued to see how effortlessly we all have adopted technology in our lives especially in education. My memory is still fresh when I was first introduced to computer lab’s in 5th grade, we only used to have a computer class once or twice a week. The exposer around the technology was very minimal and limited. Compared to those days, it’s amazing that now a days every child is familiar with gadgets long before they register in school, whether it be a mobile device, computer, or tablet, etc. I am sure we all can recall the time when our parents used to restrict us from using gadgets by saying “too much television or computer will harm your eyes and brain” it sounds unbelievable today. Back then as an educator I could’t have imagine teaching a subject like mathematics using online tools. Today after being associated with companies like Third space learning I strongly believe invasion of technology in education have helped both educators and students to achieve the desired learning goals. With the help of technology students are able to visualise the content they are learning for better understanding, it improves imagination, cognition I mean the benefits are countless. I came across this blog “What are the benefits of teaching math using technology?” it dive’s deep into the benefits of using multimedia for teaching mathematics which I found very insightful for me.
Since EC&I- 833 is my first course in educational technology, I am very excited to learn more about its background and current applications in teaching and learning. As an educator, I believe that technology has evolved into an integral component of learning that cannot be ignored in the current times. As a result, it is important to teach and encourage the right use of technology among children.
Thank you!
Meenu 🙂
8 thoughts on “Introductory Post”
What a cool backstory Meenu! Checking out what Engineering For Kids is about, and how you have been somewhat reliant on technology to get your programs out into schools, I am excited to get your perspective throughout this course. You said that, “With the help of technology students are able to visualize the content they are learning for better understanding,” and I could not agree more. Technology has changed the game when it comes to things like math… as long as the educator is willing to put the work in to find ways to use technology productively and meaningfully.
Best of luck and I look forward to hearing from you throughout the class.
Many thanks, Bart! I’m looking forward to discussing more ideas with you in class.
Great sharing Meenu, I totally believe that technology is doing a lot in today’s education teaching and learning process, and it’s growing faster. However, I also think too much of everything is harmful and leaves some negative effects. I also remember my parents saying not to use laptops or phones too much. Its true technology helps in enhancing our skills and makes education fun-filled and engaging.
Nice to meet you Meenu!
It is interesting to think about how our children now are much more inclined to pick up on technology compared to the generations before them and I suppose we can attribute that to the earlier exposure and modelling by adults. I do think that sometimes I over-estimate students’ technological understandings, (and underestimate my own age) especially when it comes to using a desktop or laptop computer. Many of my students have picked up my mouse from beside my computer and asked “what is this?”. After explaining what the mouse does, they ask “well, why don’t you just touch it on the screen?” After a good laugh, I realized that desktops and laptops are now becoming outdated technology. Most of my students can work an iPhone or iPad, but can’t figure out the laptop’s trackpad.
Thank-you for sharing!
Thanks, meenu for your blog post. I totally agree with you that technology in education helped teachers and students to get desired goals. Nowadays it’s very difficult to imagine life without technology and it makes teaching learning more interesting. I really like the blog that you mentioned in your blog post about the benefits of teaching maths using technology. Many students face difficulty to learn mathematics formulas but technology makes mathematics more interesting and students take more interest in this subjects
Awesome post, Meenu. After reading your backstory and experience, I am – like Bart – eager to hear more from your perspective throughout this class. As a former student who once struggled in math, I find TEACHING math so much easier now with visual online tools. And I wholeheartedly agree with you – tech use in the classroom requires purposeful/meaningful implementation from the classroom teacher. Thanks for the insights!
Hi Meenu! Great post! Like Bart, I’m extremely impressed with your company! I’m going to have to take some time to explore the website fully. I teach Drafting and Design at my school, and I love the idea of talking to students in early grades about engineering and design! I’m excited to hear your thoughts throughout the semster!
Such an interesting post Meenu! Thank you
My parents as well.. were always telling me to watch TV less… Everything has its pros and cons… and so does technology but indeed it has helped both teachers and students.
I am just curious to read more blogs from you.