Final Reflection

The time has come where we are wrapping up a semester of EME2040, technology class. If I'm being completely honest, at the beginning of the course, I didn't know what to expect and I didn't really feel like I was going to benefit as much as I actually did. Having taken a "teaching technology to elementary students" class years ago, I assumed it would be similar to what I did back then. However, it ended up being nothing like that class. Now, reflecting on the content of this class, I can honestly say, not only have I learned but I actually feel as though it should be part of every teacher's PDP to take a semester of EME2040. It's easy to get stuck in a cyclic teaching rut and teach how you already know to teach and not integrate new innovative ways of doing things, especially if what has been done is known to have worked, by your observation. The content and nature of this course has been so resourceful that I feel like it would be hard not incorporate all of the impressive Web 2.0 tools that we were introduced to and utilized this spring such as: Prezi, Haiku Deck, ToonDoo, Storybird, Gliffy, Wordle, Voki, and Padlet, just to name a few.

For the duration of the course we created blog posts about various topics ranging from digital divides to integrating technology for special needs and ESOL students. We participated in class discussion forums, and were able to collaborate with each other in a more meaningful way than being in a traditional classroom setting. The fact that the course was a virtual class made it all that much more meaningful and had a greater impact for me because it was my first online class. Creating instructional wikis and collaborative lesson plans as well as rubrics were all informative assignments that left me eager to share with colleagues and use with future students.  Assistive technologies was also something that was interesting to learn about as it provided ideas to adapt a classroom to meet the needs of special students. Learning further about legal and ethical issues that may develop with the use of technology in the classroom left me a little anxious and apprehensive about adding photos from the internet to any  of my work, in fear of not citing it properly. I'm sure with practice, it will get easier in the future. The useful site that was introduced was the digital bookmarking tool, Delicious. Being able to retrieve important websites and resources no matter what computer I'm working from is something that I feel will be life changing as a teacher. There were many times when I thought I saved a site to my computer home but it was actually at my work computer and it seemed like the resources I needed were never where I was, however del.ici.ous.com will be a great asset to lesson planning in the future.

This course was incredibly well thought out and assignment objectives were issued in excellent sequential order. If there were any suggestions I can make, it would be for the assignment descriptions to be more clear and concise. There were times when I felt I was unclear about what was being asked to do, and had to ask many questions to be sure it was being done correctly. Perhaps it was my reading comprehension that was throwing me off, however, that was the only issue I ran into.

Overall, I have had an EXCELLENT experience and value each and every lesson that I was taught by Professor Coleman's modules. This course can be beneficial to students, emerging teachers, or existing teachers that are looking to evolve into 21st Century educators. This was just the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure, but the material covered was a terrific start. Kudos to Professor Coleman on a job well done! It's been a pleasure!

Resources:

[AJ+]. (2015, September 16). 5 Technologies That Will Change Classroom Education. Retrieved 2016, April 30, from https://youtu.be/loFL5gT_m8I.

Digital Blog Post #L- Chapter 12

Integrating technology has become an integral part of the classroom environment in which we teach today. Quite often, the teacher has an interest incorporating technology, however, they either do not know how or do not have the means to do so because of lack of finances. For this reason, "teacher mindset" and "multiple pathways" are two elements that are necessary for technology and instruction to create successful learning.  The teacher mindset is the idea that technology is the means to an end, and used only once the content has been learned.  That mindset is not the most conducive to have because content can be learned via technology from the start, as long as the teacher provides that form of learning to take place. New teachers or even existing teachers sometimes get stuck in the rut of assuming that the only way they can incorporate technology in the classroom is if each student has their own computer. Although, that would be easiest, there ARE ways around it.  A classroom can benefit from even just one or two computers in the classroom, if they are being utilized to their fullest potential.  "Technology integration is more about how technology is used by teachers than about the amount of technology a teacher has available to use" (Maloy, 2013). This was particularly a struggle for me as a writing teacher for middle school with only 3 computers in the classroom. In my head, I felt there were an abundance of computer resources I can use or have the students use that would enrich the lessons, however, I would often hit a roadblock and get discouraged with the management of those few computers. At the time, I didn't realize, it was actually my lack of classroom management as a new teacher, that was causing me to feel overwhelmed by the idea of rotating the students' computer time. Going back to the classroom now, having learned what I learned through college technology courses and through experience and discussing with other teachers, it may be easier, but still will take some practice and getting used to.

Digital pens and digital notepads are one concept that I found particularly intriguing.  As a former writing teacher of so many students with either disabilities (ie: dysgraphia)or simply non-legible handwriting, this form of technology would've been such a lifesaver. The idea of having a pen that has the capability of putting handwriting to written text as well as link to software for various functionalities is simply groundbreaking for many types of teaching (and learning) situations. At its most basic ability alone and making reading handwriting legible can make grading essays, and assignments so much easier. I imagine that it also can give students a boost in morale to see their words put to text if it was otherwise difficult for them to write or type in order to express themselves.

Last but not least, developing a technology-leading mindset and have "a willingness to continuously investigate how digital technologies can be used to transform teaching and learning in schools. (Maloy, 2013).  Not knowing how to integrate technology in the classroom can be avoided if a teacher is an active learner of technology. Rather than being overwhelmed by the thought of having to teach each individual student how to utilize technology, a teacher should create a network where they can train and entrust a select few technologically savvy students to tutor the others or help when the teacher is unavailable. A teacher with technology-leading mindset persevere and continue to explore the use of it in schools as well as continue on a forward pushing momentum to constantly learn new things that they can use in their ever-changing classrooms.

The News-Press article about technology in the classroom, featuring myself on the SmartBoard. 

Schools today should encourage teachers to further their education in technology frequently since it is constantly advancing. Through my experiences alone in taking a college class about teaching technology twice, 10 years apart from each other, I can vouch for the fact that what I learned then, pales in comparison to what I learned now. I'm sure that there are plenty of teachers out there that may not realize how many advancements there now and that their once technology based lessons may now be considered antiquated.  Teaching students in such a manner should occur because there will always be a constant push for technology to be the driving force in their future careers and endeavors.

Resources:

Brady, Terry. (Photographer) 2007. Fort Myers, FL: The News-Press.

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.