Coming to an End......Well Sort Of

I have to start by saying I really enjoyed this class and have learned so much from it. And although the course itself is coming to an end, my drive to continue to learn about technology in the classroom is only growing. This blog is a reflection of my achievements and thoughts of this course as well as my plans of continued learning in this field.

One of the most important things that I have learned when integrating technology is to check everything before hand. Check to make sure links work and are suitable for student viewing. I have also learned that technology can make certain aspects of teaching easier. Rather than typing up a newsletter every week, copying it on paper and handing it out, if all the students and parents have access to the internet, placing that information on a website where it can always be read (and not lost in a bookbag) can be helpful. Technology can also assist with communication. This communication can take place between you and students, parents, administrators, colleagues and other teachers. Another teaching strategy I learned was not to integrate technology to say that you do it. Take some time to learn about various technologies and decide which one fits into your lesson at that particular time.

The internet offers a seemingly endless amount of information to help a person find and evaluate technologies. I used the internet to research information on my own about different technologies and I used various sites to help guide me with the research. I used bookmarking sites like delicious, which I can bookmark sites I come across, but also find sites that others have come across. I have also used social networking sites, such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter as means of finding out useful sites and technologies. Another wonderful site was Atomic Learning. In order to integrate and evaluate technology, you need to understand it and that site gives you a wonderful insight into many technologies.

I believe that the SIG project on digital storytelling exemplifies good teaching with technology. To begin, it allowed a bunch of great mind to work together to create a unified presentation. As students, we explored Google docs and the joys of being able to chat while working and as teachers we shared our knowledge and findings. We also collaborated by creating a delicious site. Once we were ready to begin our Prezi presentation, we once again, met to complete the presentation as educators as well as learners. While completing the project, I was able to learn so much about digital storytelling and the various ways to implement it into the curriculum. To me, digital storytelling exemplifies good teaching with technology because it allows the teacher to differentiate to meet the students’ needs. For example, if you were to use Stroybird, the students can choose their own illustrations and the length of the story can be based on the individual’s ability. Another example would be using voicethread to show and explain a math problem. The students can choose a math problem they are comfortable with.

At the beginning of this course I created a personal growth plan. “A goal of mine is to be able to accommodate students of all levels using either the same type of media or different.” I believe that I have accomplished that goal. While I am still learning of various technologies that allow me to differentiate and accommodate different levels, I feel as though I have gained a lot of knowledge in this aspect. I was able to obtain this goal by researching and watching tutorials on how to correctly use technologies. Another goal I had was to understand technology and how to correctly implement it into the classroom. I also feel as though I accomplished this goal. I was introduced to many different resources throughout this course and taught how to use them correctly. The YouTube “In Plain English” videos as well as the Atomic Learning Tutorial were all very informative.

However, I wasn’t able to accomplish two of my goals. One of the goals I was not able to accomplish is due to my currently situation. My goal was to allow students to experience as many types of technology as possible. Due to the fact that I currently do not have a computer in my room, makes it difficult to give students the ability to experience these technologies. However, I plan on taking a different position next year and cannot wait to put all my ideas into play. The other goal I had was to “make technology accessible at every income.” I believe that I am on my way to achieving this goal. I have been researching different grants and coming across different organizations and charities that will give technology to schools in low-socioeconomic areas.

I would like to continue to grow with all my goals. I would like to learn about more technologies and how to correctly implement them into my classroom. I would like to continue to come across different sites and ideas that allow for differentiation. I still want to work on sharing technology with my students and allow them to learn and grow. And finally, I want to continue to find out how technology can be accessible for every income. I plan to continue my research through the Internet as well as continue to take courses through Michigan State University. I am currently on the path to obtaining my Masters in Educational Technology, which will continue way after this course. And lastly, I want to take on the role as a leader and sharer. I want to show others what I have learned and share all my knowledge (and wonderful websites) that I am learning myself.