Personal Learning Reflection (810)

When I was in school, I do not think my teachers really thought about integrating technology into the classroom.  We were filled with overheads and old films on a reel.  Most of the time I think these methods were simply so they could have some extra grading time.  We had a computer lab and a technology class there once a week, but I don't remember it being anything special.  The biggest technology piece I can remember is once I hit junior high, we were required to take a typing on computers class.  In high school, it was programming which I was never good at.  The Internet was a brand new gig to get research from the first year I entered college.  However, our Education Department was fairly tech-savy.  They even had a Smart Board!  It was here that I feel effective teaching strategies were used.  My professors expected us to collaborate on projects, use technology for presentations, and create hands-on lessons that incorporated manipulatives.  Now that I am in the classroom, I find that I must use these kinds of strategies with my students.  They are 21st century learners and know more about technology than I have learned over the years.  I have learned that my students need projects that offer collaboration with other students and the more technology they get to use, the better.  One of the next projects my students will be working on is a Glogster poster.  I cannot wait to see what my students do with this!

The integration of the Internet has helped me to better think about and evaluate uses of technology.  I have learned so many different sites and resources that are available to me and my students.  I did not know about resources like Glogster.  I did not have a Flickr account.  I had no real clue about social networking sites outside of Facebook.  Knowing how to evaluate the resources I find on the Internet is also beneficial.  There is so much out there that being able to hone in on the strengths and weaknesses of these resources makes my job easier when trying to plan lessons for my students. 

There are two assignments that I feel were excellent examples good teaching with technology.  The first of these was the setting up of an RSS feed.  This assignment has allowed me to develop myself professionally on a daily basis.  It also allows me to keep up with my social networking.  And all of this happens on one page-I do not have to go to multiple sites to get the information I need.  The second assignment I feel exemplifies good teaching with technology was the Personal Learning Network.  Not only did I learn about Glogster, but I learned that I really do have a support network on which I rely.  This assignment made me think, and it allowed me to work in a very creative way.  This for me was beneficial because, although I am an auditory learner, I love to express myself creatively. 

I have been working toward engaging my students through technology so my shy students have a voice and so I see improvements in writing skills.  I am having some trouble with the integration of Collaborize Classroom because the students must have an email address in order to access the site, and some of my students still do not have an email address.  However, my students have been using the comment section in MicroSoft Word to give revision ideas to their classmates.  This is having a positive effect on my students.  They are starting to care more about their hand-written drafts because they know one they have them typed, their peers are going to view what they have written.  Personally, I wanted to learn more tools to engage my learners and lessen my own grading.  Teaching writing requires a ton of paperwork.  I have found that my paperwork load is lessened greatly by being able to access my students' work online.  I can give feedback and never have to worry about taking a single paper home.  I have learned many new tools to use with my kids as well.  They are excited to do their first Prezis and will be introduced to Glogster soon.  I am currently working with a small group of students to film morning announcements that are streamed throughout the school each morning.  Within that group I have three young men who are in charge of research for news and current events.  I taught them how to create an I-Google page for an RSS feed.  They love it.  They walk in each day after school and get right to work scanning their RSS feeds. 

My goals are currently the same.  I have not met them completely and will continue to strive to do the best I can engaging my students with the use of technology.  I do have a long-term goal: To stay current with technology and always on the search for new tools for my students.  I am going to apply to the MAET program and continue to earn a Master's in Technology.  I was only going to go through the CERT program, but I have fallen in love with learning all over again, and this learning has increased my students' excitement for learning as well!