When I first began using social media, my grandmother’s word scrolled across my brain

like a banner, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I did not own a cell phone until I was 25

years old. When I first began teaching, cell phones were not even a relevant issue. As I amassed

experience, I noticed a growing divide between myself and the students. Technology had

become ingrained with not only students, but the art of teaching. This is where I reluctantly

began my journey toward what I call my social awakening through technological advances.

Most of my career has been spent in Title I schools. I have had access to any state

initiative and programs. As a language arts teacher I used ALEX numerous times for papers and

general research about different writers and periods of writing. At two schools I was on the RTI

committee for the school. The school I currently work at uses AMSTI weekly, and the school

provides professional development for any interested teachers. All of these programs work to

provide opportunities for students. These opportunities manifest themselves by providing

support for student achievement along with providing information for teachers to pass this data

to students.

As with all manners of teaching, there are some valuable resources and some that are not

as helpful. I evaluate technological content the same way that I do with written content. The

first step is to validate the author of the page or app. Oftentimes, major brand names provide the

most reliable products. The second thing I evaluate is whether the information has relevance to

the content standards provided by the state of Alabama. Lastly, I read reviews from other people

who what have used the technology.

At my current school, the general education and special education teachers meet at least

once a week to collaborate on the upcoming topics. I evaluate how well I think the students on

my caseload will understand the material and relay that to the teacher. Next, we discuss ways
that might help the students based on their learning style. At the end of each meeting we look for

online information that can aid students in the resource room setting.

Each summer I attend at least two forms of professional development. The state of

Alabama offers a mega-conference in Mobile. Obviously this is one of my top choices based on

location, but it also provides new laws and procedures for the upcoming school year I also attend

language arts conferences to stay up to date for my inclusion classes. Last year we went to a

Marzano conference in Decatur.

In the current climate of education, veteran teachers are in short supply. I currently give

small workshops for new special education teachers on the use of technology for paperwork. I

have tailored numerous forms to fit the needs of our school system. I also have been trained and

trained other teachers on giving standardized testing on the computer. These include the ACAP

Summative, Pre-ACT, and the ACT.