End of Semester Reflection

This semester I have learned a lot not only about technology, but how to use it as a teacher, how children of today learn, and I have also changed my view on technology in the classroom if ever so slightly.

First of all, as a teacher I want to be able to use technology in order to make my life easier, more organized and efficient. Secondly, I want to use it to be a better teacher, to be on the same level as my students and to help inspire them to take advantage of the resources out there in order to become more successful.

At the beginning of the semester, I felt a little overwhelmed at the amount of stuff that is out there! I mean, I couldn't possibly figure it all out and know exactly what I need for which aspect of my life. But then, I realized that I don't need to know it all. If I find something I like and that would be useful to me, then I'll use it until something better comes along (and it probably will). I need to be open to change as far as technology goes because it is ever changing.

Children today are becoming more and more adept at learning technology and the rest of us are struggling just to keep up. They say that children pick up new languages easier than adults do and I think the same goes for learning technology. It's more natural for some than others. Children today have a much shorter attention span which can be attributed to technology and the instant gratification it brings. ADD is on the rise and a lot of that is because we are creating a world where being still and quiet and not having something fed to us continually is not an option. You have to actively seek quiet time; schedule it in. This is the world we will be teaching in. We could try to change it because we don't agree with it, but the more likely thing that will have to happen is to adapt to it and do the best we can for our students.

I think that this class has taught me that though I am not completely gung ho for anything and everything digital, I can balance technology in my teaching and help my students to understand the importance of it in their lives and also to help them familiarize themselves with some of the awesome things that are out there. I really don't know what I'll do without a SMARTBoard! I'll have to go back to the time B.S.B (Before SmartBoard).

This is what I wrote in my NETS assignment at the beginning of the semester:

The NETS I am choosing to focus on this semester is #2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.

Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

Ways I will work on this this semester is,

1) through adapting my learning about teaching to include technology. I can already see this happening in other classes and getting ideas about how to do this or that with technology.

2) to think about how I can use technology to reach students with different learning styles and abilities. Technology can help teach to every multiple intelligence from musical to kinesthetic and I want to be able to possess the knowledge to do that.

3) familiarize myself with the wide span of technology available to me as a teacher. The more I learn about the options out there, the more I realize I don't know! The possibilities are endless, but the more I learn about what is out there, the more I can pick and choose what will be best for my teaching style.

First, I have definitely adapted my teaching style to include technology, mostly through use of the SMARTBoard. Just about all of my projects for other classes this semester involved the use of the SMARTBoard and as I said earlier, it would take a lot to adapt back to not using it.

Second, I think that I have accomplished the task of using technology to reach different learning styles of students. The beauty of the SMARTBoard is that it can incorporate every single muliple-intelligence and I have learned how to do that effectively.

The one thing I have done, but haven't quite mastered is using technology to provide formative and summative assessment. It's one of those things that I feel isn't super critical in the learning process. Formative assessment is the easier of the two to incorporate, but summative, not so much.

Overall, I feel that my students are going to have a good digital learning experience in my classroom. I think that I feel comfortable enough with classroom technology to be able to have a tech-friendly place to learn and grow. I'm excited to see what my students come up with in regards to technology and I'm also excited to see what I can teach them through it.