April
2009
Tech Class Reflection0
This course has helped me immensely in developing my technology skills as a teacher. I now know how to access technologies that I never knew how to use before. Blogs, podcasts, and wikis are now part of my repertoire and will be used in my classroom lessons, units, and communities. I am not afraid to use the internet with my students and I am not afraid to let them explore the internet to find ideas and answers for class discussions. Creating a blog, a wiki, and a podcast for my most recent class through Walden University has convinced me that these are all great tools to use in my classroom. Technology is the new way of the world and therefore, should be the new way in the classroom.
The resources used for this class did a great job arguing the necessity of technology use in the classroom. Students today have been exposed to much more technology than students in the past. In order to communicate with students today, we must be well versed in technology in our daily lives as well as in the classroom. Students learning styles and needs are changing and adapting to new technologies that teachers need to be familiar with in order to offer students the best education possible in order to prepare them for the work force today. Students’ brains are changing and becoming more technological. Using technology is going to be necessary for learning and communicating in the world. Technology must be a part of the learning process so that students learn to correctly use technology and to use technology as a resource and a tool.
I have always believed that a learner-centered perspective in the classroom. Technology will help to develop learner-centered classrooms around the world. When students can work independently and interdependently, they will be able to work to answer their questions and solve problems. These are 21st century skills that will be required in the workforce in the near future. Having a teacher-centered classroom will no longer be the expectation. Teachers are moving from the role of “knowledge-giver” to the role of facilitator.
I will continue to increase my knowledge about teaching, learning, and using technology to increase student achievement by becoming a life-long, 21st century learner myself. Through Walden University I plan to earn my Masters Degree in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. This will play a role in increasing my knowledge about these topics. I also plan to use the technology that I am learning about in my classroom as well as on my own time. Using these technology tools in the classroom will enable me to continue my own learning. In order to increase my knowledge about teaching and learning, I plan to continue taking classes throughout my career to keep up with current research about teaching and learning so that I can be using strategies that will benefit my students.
I have set two long term goals for myself that I plan to accomplish in the next two years. My first goal is to create a classroom blog where I will facilitate discussions amongst my students. In order to do this, I will have to overcome obstacles set in place by my school. I am already starting to work with the media specialist to research safe blog sites that are password protected so that the students are the only people in the discussion. My second goal is to have my classes create wikis for research projects in several different units. Upon completion of each of the wikis, I would like to make them available to web searches. I am also currently working with the media specialist at my school on this. We are looking to find a safe wiki site that we can complete before we publish. She is also working with the county media specialists to change restrictions about what we are allowed to have our students publish on the internet through school. Both of my goals are also current goals of many other teachers in my district, so I believe that within the next two years, I will be able to accomplish these goals.
