Phase 3 Reflection
Technology is a great
way to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Through
the course of my technology class, I have learned a great deal about how to
design and teach lessons that have technology incorporated into them. I have learned that creativity does not
only come out through hands-on activities, but also from technological mediums.
There are a number of students that thrive when using technology. Thus,
teachers should find a way to incorporate technology into their lessons.
This may seem like a daunting task, but in actuality it is quite easy.
As I learned in this class, there are numerous resources, sites, apps,
and devices available to teachers to bring technology into their classrooms.
We are living in a very
digital and computer savvy world, it is only appropriate that we bring
technology into the classroom in a variety of ways while meeting the needs of
diverse students. In order to do this, teachers must remember to keep their
instruction student-centered. Teachers
must act as a guide as students identify their learning needs, locate the
appropriate learning resources, and construct their own knowledge. Although technology can enhance student learning,
it is not always student-centered. It is the teacher’s responsibility to
use technology as an engaging, meaningful, and interactive way of learning. Through this course I have learned different
ways to do so; virtual math manipulatives, BrainPop, Edmodo, smartboard, voicethread,
Google Doc, Wikispaces, computer presentations, Polleverywhere, web quests,
simulations, among many more.
Children are constant
observers; therefore as teachers it is our responsibility to model what is
expected of our students. A great way to
model digital-age work and learning is to have a website or blog. This gives students, as well as parents, the
ability to know what is going on while also being involved in the classroom technology.
Through this course I learned to access students’ technological background
knowledge and relate it to new technology and different situations. I also
learned the importance of demonstrating the use of technology and different
devices. When teaching lessons it is
important to show how to use each device, site, or application to prevent
students from feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
It is imperative as the
teacher to promote and model digital citizenship and
responsibility. Teachers must explain and reiterate to the students what it
means to use digital etiquette, how to keep themselves safe online,
double check what they wrote before hitting send/submit, remember grammar when
writing a formal document, check the reliability and authenticity of a website,
to never cyber-bully (or bully at all), and what to do if you or someone you
know is being bullied online. Teachers should always monitor students
when they are using technology and the school should set up website blockers to
prevent students from sites that are not conducive to learning. The use of
computers and the internet should be limited to activities that support
education and enrichment and computers should be used to support curriculum
that is already being taught.
I learned a great deal
from preparing and teaching a lesson with my peers.
- When it comes to planning everyone needs to go in with
a good attitude, effectively listen to colleagues, be open
to all ideas, and all should be held accountable, no hogs no logs.
Also, each classroom has different students with different needs so
each teacher must find a way to differentiate the lesson to the needs of
his/her students.
- In order to make team teaching strong teachers
must cooperate, keep open communication, do your part, compromise
when needed, effectively listen, be enthusiastic (if you are not, you
cannot expect the students to be), use a variety of resources including other
teachers (we are in this together), and be organized (teachers do not have
time to waste).
- I enjoyed being the teacher as well as the student when
we did our team lessons. This gave me a chance to learn from other
groups. I observed and learned different approaches and techniques, new
differentiated strategies, fun hands-on activities, ways to link the same
idea to different grade levels, ways to keep students' engaged, and how
others organize and structure lessons.
- Through the team teaching lesson I realized that team
teaching can be difficult because of different personalities and styles,
but it also can be very effective and beneficial. Working with others
allows one to see different perspectives and get ideas that one may not
have thought of. It also divides the work that must be done which
gives more time to teachers to tackle something else on their to do list.
After teaching the lesson, all the teachers should come together and
reflect on how the lesson went and what could be done differently for the
lesson to be more effective.
- A few things about lessons that teachers should keep in
mind are to stay focused, ensure directions are clear and concise, be
prepared for technology issues, overlook lesson to be sure everything is
aligned, only choose one objective, practice the lesson, adapt
for interruptions, know the material, build background knowledge,
make sure to have an "I'm done, what do I do now" activity
ready, and have everything ready and organized beforehand.
Technology in the
Classroom is a course that
will most definitely impact my future experiences as a teacher. I now have a
collection of technology resources to utilize in my classroom with the
knowledge of how to use each one. I also understand how to keep my students safe while
also teaching them the importance of legal and ethical use of digital information
and technology. I am thrilled to use the
blog and website I have now created for when I begin my teaching career.
