When Clinical Practice II started in March 2012 I found myself at Valley High School in Escondido, California. It should be noted that Valley High School serves as the continuation high school for the Escondido Union High School District, which is made up of three comprehensive sites. The students who attend Valley High School come from predominantly low socioeconomic backgrounds. However I ignored my findings and instead based my decision to implement technology into the classroom on my observations. During my initial observations of the classes I would eventually teach I noticed that a large percentage of students actively used their cell phones in class despite the strict rules against it. On my first day of instruction I gave my students a brief overview of my life and then stated that at one point the pencil was the cutting edge of technology, which was then surpassed by the calculator. I then pulled out my personal cell phone and stated that this could easily be the future of education as it can access 98% of the information I will give them during the course. I then walked them through the different types of tools I would use during the course including Twitter, PollEverywhere and Evernote. However I dropped the use of Twitter and Evernote as both require access to internet at home, which many students lack. Instead I have focused on PollEveywhere which I use on a near regular basis. Instead of always having students write quickwrites I allow them to text in their responses to questions which generates greater participation. In addition more discussion occurs because students are reading other responses and then talk about them. If I am ever placed in a school with a population coming from a higher socioeconomic background I will utilize additional technology in the classroom but at Valley High School I have quickly discovered the value of using basic technology in the classroom. After all if the students are already texting why not make them text something useful.
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