Reflective Essay

      

     This course provided me with hands on activities within the assignments that required the use of technology. I felt at times I was pushed to my full capability as a student when introduced to technology programs that I was unfamiliar with. In this course I created Blogs, Wiki’s,  ePortfolio, WebQuest, Collaborative Lesson Plan, Discussion Board, etc. Working with these for the first time was challenging however I felt happy with how my projects turned out and I am excited to apply them in the classroom. I feel that by using technology I can teach my students more effectively.

    Thanks to this class I have many educational blogs that I can continue to check out and use for inspiration. There are many great sources of information out there and while I do intend to research new ways of using them I find it will be more meaningful if I continue to create as well.

     A goal I have set for myself is to change the role I have as a teacher. I want a classroom that is not teacher-centered, but student-centered. With the advancements of in technology students have access to a wealth of information and knowledge. This has changed the dynamic of the teacher in the fact that the teacher is not the only source of knowledge or facts in the classroom. It was stated that, “The National Technology Plan released in January 2005 went so far as to admit that “today’s students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy. They prefer to access subject information on the Internet, where it is more abundant, more accessible and more up to date” (National Educational Technology Plan, 2005), (Richardson, 2009). Therefore, it is my goal to instill in my students that the classroom is their area to be self-directed, research, communicate, and create. These are all necessary skills for students to have to be successful in their futures. In addition to this, creating learning opportunities that are relevant to students’ lives makes more of a lasting impact. Students are more interested in topics that relate to their lives and if they know they will use the skill in their futures. Using technology in the classroom allows for this to occur. This goal allows students to embrace and understand the relevance of being lifelong learners.

Ipad for Show and Tale at the PreK class

     This course has helped me develop my technology skills. I feel that I have been given many new tools with which to teach my students, which really excites me. During this course we have explored the evolution of teaching. The biggest thing I have learned from this course is that the process of teaching and learning is always changing. A teacher who is still relying on lectures and blackboards is really doing their students a disservice. By not utilizing technology in the classroom these students will enter college and their careers steps behind their peers. Students today have grown up immersed in technology; it is a large part of every aspect of their life. Because if this it should also be a large part of their education. Creating a lesson that forces students to collaborate in small groups, discover information on their own, and enables creativity will be much more impactful than making students write a book full of notes. Using the building blocks that this course has provided will allow me to continue using technology in my classroom. By making lessons that require creativity I will transform my classroom from an area not fixed on me, but centered on the students. I intend to use all the resources provided to help me achieve my goals of integrating technology in my classroom and becoming more learner centered.

      Overall, I feel that the use of technology has changes the way I learn in school. This Technology class has helped me to become more organized, it also have provided incredible sources on the Internet that I am able to use for educational purposes and other things as well, because after all without the technology we have today I feel that none of us would be able to survive, we would all have to do our work the old fashion way and get our resources from a book. In conclusion the use of technology has changes the way I learn.

Resources

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2010). Transforming teaching with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon

McHale, T. (2005). Portrait of a digital native. Technology& Learning. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.techlearning.com/article/4572.

 Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.