Reflection

Before this course I was not aware of all the different types of technology that I could easily use in my classroom. After the class started, I could not believe how easy it was to use all these programs. This course provided a hands-on experience in creating blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. I really enjoyed actually going through the motions and learning by trial and error, rather than just reading out of a book.

Through this course, I got the opportunity to learn and brainstorm different ways to incorporate different types of technology in the classroom. Through talking with others in the course I got some really good ideas, things that I would have never thought of before. I plan on using educational blogs to keep up to date on the latest trends in technology so I can incorporate some new things in my classroom.

I learned that students are digital natives and are very capable of learning and using new technology. Their brains are geared more towards technology and teachers should use that to their advantage. We can develop our lessons around all the prior knowledge our students bring to class regarding technology.

I have two long term goals for the coming years. First, I plan on starting next school year with teaching the students how to make blogs and wikis. I will then incorporate these blogs and wikis in my lesson at least once a week throughout the whole school year. I also plan on working with other subject areas to create blogs and wikis. By doing this, students can make connections between the topics learned in my class and their other classes. Second, I am going to try and set up video conferences between my students and classrooms around the world.  I will have to carefully research this method and speak with my school district to make sure I have permission. I also plan on getting the parents involved by asking for their help. We have a lot of military families in our district and parents that work overseas. They may be able to help set something up for the students.

The two answers that the changed the most from when I first complete the checklist where from the following practices:

1.      Promote the development of leadership and technology skills in my students and colleagues. I have been sharing all the information that I have learned in class with other teachers in the building. Next year I will also share this information with my students.

2.      Work to promote best practices in technology integration by researching, evaluating, selecting and sharing new tools for classroom instruction. Before this course I did not know about blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. Now I know how to create and effectively use them in my class.

In conclusion, this was one of the most interesting classes that I have taken so far during my master’s program. I learned a lot of different types of technology and got a lot of great ideas for future lessons. I plan on continuing to check my blogs and wiki, so if any one comes across any good ideas, please share. I will also post anything that I find that may be helpful.

Podcast

Here is the link to my podcast!

http://kaylashandra.podbean.com/2011/10/06/students-and-technology/

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

I thought the website was very useful and easy to use. I liked the graphical representation of the skills and the support systems in place to promote those skills. One thing that I found interesting was the fact that business and government leaders were encouraged to join the program. This is a great idea since those leaders know exactly what skills employees need to be successful out in the real world.

As I was reading through the information I came across a section where they talked about the content areas that are usually not covered in school. For example, global awareness, financial, economic, business, entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, health and wellness awareness and environmental literacy are not taught in most schools.  I never thought of these skills/content areas before, but it makes perfect sense that students would need to know this information. I think that schools need to revisit their curriculum and implement these content areas where they can. Unfortunately, everything in education is state test driven, so school districts may be hesitant to include these content areas in the curriculum since it is not tested on the state tests.

I noticed on the website that the founding organizations are all large technology companies. This makes me a little nervous. Even though it is great that these large companies are trying to help schools to prepare their students, I think more educators need to be involved in developing the program. People with a background in education can work with these large companies and design a program that is teacher and classroom friendly. Also, this organization needs to realize that school districts are cutting back severely. Not all schools have the time and resources to adopt a whole new program, especially when funding does not rely on whether or not students have these essential skills, but rather on test scores.

Although the goal of the site is to prepare students for their future in a technology driven world, I feel like there is going to be more and more pressure put on teachers to make sure students are prepared for the workforce. Not only do all our students have to pass the state tests, but now we have to make sure they have all these skills so they can get a good job. Where will teachers find the time and what will be sacrificed to find this time?

Using blogs in my classroom...

Before taking this course I never thought of using blogs as an educational tool. After I thought about it for a while, I thought it might be an innovative way to stay connected to my students and integrate technology in my classroom.

One thing I always to do in my class is science current events, at least once a week. My principal always stresses how important it is for students to stay up to date with the latest news, and I couldn't agree more. So my idea is to incorporate science current events into a blog. Each week the students would be responsible for finding a current event, related to science, that they find interesting. The students would go to the blog and post the link along with a short reflection on the current event. They may write something they found interesting or something that they agree or disagree with. Once everyone in the class posted their current event (I would set a due date), the other students would have to go the blog and read through a few current events and post their own reflection.

I feel that this blog would  open up a discussion or debate between classmates, which is a great way for students to learn how to develop their own ideas and opinions on different topics. I also feel that students will like the idea of a blog since most students are so technology savvy. Also, I think that blogs would be great for shy students that are scared to share their thoughts in front of a classroom of their peers. By blogging, they can post their thoughts in the comfort of their own home.

I would use these blogs with my 8th and 9th grade Biology classes.

New School Year New Technology!

Welcome to a new school year! I just received my own SmartBoard in my classroom a few days ago and I am really excited to start using it in my science classes. I used SmartBoards in college about 4 years ago so I am somewhat familiar with this technology. I have a few websites in mind such as cellsalive.com to use in my classroom, but if you have any other suggestions I would love to hear them! I am always looking for new ideas.