Frustrations With Technology

I have two main frustrations with technology. First, the planning and implementing can be time-consuming. The first time-consuming piece is researching an app that will be efficient and in line with my learning targets for a particular lesson or unit. Once I find the appropriate app, I need to learn how to use it. Next, I work on the app to tailor the program to my lesson which may include uploading course information, adding graphics, pictures, or any personal touches to make the app customized to my school or my style. After putting in time and effort, I ultimately find using technology makes the lesson run more efficiently. I have also experienced it improves classroom management, student engagement, and assessment. I have recently been using my iPad and apple TV to project circuit training exercises and an interval timer on the wall of an indoor space I use (my school does not have a gymnasium). Using the iPad in this way puts the learning in the hands of my students. My instruction improves because I can put my energy into giving students feedback instead of keeping time, yelling for students to rotate and explaining movements over and over again. My next frustration, however, is when the technology you spend so much time planning to implement fails to work. There have been a few critical times when I show up to class, and the internet is not working, or the projector broke, or the space I wanted to use does not have the technology to support my lesson. Even sometimes something as silly as the fact that I forgot to charge the iPad. These situations leave me to think on my feet or go back to the methods I used before all this technology and leaves me to wonder if we need all this technology in the first place.