Final Reflection

I recently took a course on integrating technology in the classroom. I learned about many new tools that I can apply to my teaching right away, and learned about what I need to do as an educator in order to better reach and educate the students in my classroom.

•In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills?
I learned about some new pieces of technology that I hadn’t known about prior to starting this class. I learned more about blogs and had discussions with fellow educators to relating to ways that we can integrate them into the classroom. I have also learned about wikis and how students can collaborate with each other to complete a group project using one. Finally, podcasts were an interesting piece of technology that I learned about. I have previously used recording programs like Audacity, but didn’t realize that those recordings can be made into its own podcast to be shared with others.

•In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of technology integration with the aim of increasing student achievement?
I believe that I can increase my knowledge and implementation of technology in my classroom by collaborating with teachers in my school and district. I learned a lot just by working and discussing with colleagues in this class, and I feel that I can learn even more by having more discussions with other educators. I also feel that by collaborating with my school colleagues, I can share some of my ideas that can also benefit their students’ learning. I also feel that by taking a closer look at “The Partnership for the 21st Century Skills” website (www.21stcenturyskills.org), I will be able to gain more ideas that I can apply to my teaching and lessons right away. I believe that by doing these things, my student’s achievement will increase and I will better prepare them for their futures.

•Set two long-tem goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment into a place where technology is integrated seamlessly to meet instructional goals and increase student achievement. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?
At times, I can feel overwhelmed after taking a course where I have learned a lot of information. In this technology class, I have learned about many new pieces of technology and ways that I can integrate them into my classroom. I have decided that if I start slow, I won’t feel so overwhelmed by everything. I also know that by teaching my students a lot of new information, they can also feel overwhelmed. I would like to start by integrating one type of technology at a time into my classroom. For example, I would like to start with a blog. I would like to get my students accustomed to using the classroom blog and adding weekly posts about our classroom learning. Once students show their knowledge of blogs and are able to add to the blog on their own, I would move on to sharing another piece of technology, perhaps a podcast. A second goal that I have for myself is planning ahead with projects and the computer lab. My students don’t have a lot of time to work in the computer lab due to the fact that it fills up quickly. I already plan units in advance, but if I plan ahead on when I will need the computers, I will be able to sign up early and get into the computer lab more often. I would also like to make using technology more of a routine, maybe going in weekly to do different things. I feel that by using technology more often, students will feel more comfortable using it. This will be beneficial to them due to the fact that they will be using technology for the rest of their lives.

Overall, this class has been very beneficial for me to take. I can’t wait to see my growth as an educator due to this class, and more importantly, I can’t wait to see the growth of my students during the course of the year and in the future.

Today's Learners and Technology

For my first podcast episode, I talked to my second graders about technology. I asked them about the types of technology that they use at home and at school and the amount of time that they use it. I also asked them more about what they enjoyed the most about technology and what they wish they could do using technology at school. Some of my students tell a little bit more about themselves and their experiences with technology.

Take a look:
http://mrsrogusclassroom.podbean.com/