During this course, CEP811, I have learned a great deal about using technology in the classroom and the teaching strategies that best support this use of technology. Since students have many different learning needs concept of UDL proved to be a very useful and important lesson, which changed the way I look at my teaching strategies. I now think more clearly about how I adapt my teaching to meet the needs of each learner in my class. One way I am using this right now is by exploring students’ own thoughts about how they learn for our Learning to Learn unit. In order to meet the learning needs of each student I am more consciously making an effort to present material in several forms such as with videos and interactive media such as the Smart Board as well as using online discussion forums. The Stair project lesson has also impacted my thoughts about teaching with technology. I was able to integrate so many features into one lesson that could reach and intrigue more students than a lecture would. The use of visuals, interactive quizzes, videos, audio buttons, and back buttons allowing for self-directed learning during the lesson. This all seems so much more effective than a traditional whole class lesson. I feel that the UDL lesson and the Stair project were two of the important lessons, which has taught me about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology.
2. How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?
Its come to my attention through CEP811 that online teaching/learning can be very beneficial to all parties involved. One way that my thinking has changed about using web-based technologies is with Wiki sites. One of the videos in this course talked about the benefits of using a computer to express ones self rather than speaking up in a class. This made me think about all the times when a student might not take part in a whole class, face-to-face discussions. Those who are too shy, those who rely on others to answer for them, or those who have a language barrier can all become strong participants in a class discussion online. I myself have felt these benefits with this course.
3. How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?
Two of the goals I had coming into this course were met through this course work. The first one was to create a webpage that I could use in the classroom. This was one of the assignments and it is now a part of my classroom and class community. My school asked me to be the site manager for my grade level, which is a team of 5 teachers. CEP 811 helped me to feel confident in accepting this role and proud of the work I’m doing on the website. I am excited to continue using this site and adding to it as I learn more and more about technology. My team is also very happy with the grade level website.
Another goal I have and will continue to strive for is to share the knowledge I gain from this program with my colleagues at school. At this point I have been assisted the grade three team multiple times with their tech questions and queries. I have used my knowledge of computer programs such as iMovie, Google Docs, and iCal to help organize my team meetings and bring some creativity to the start of our school year.
4. Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?
I have several goals, which I would like to pursue. One goal is to use a link to Pinterest on my class blog page. I plan to create a class Pinterest page that students can access to gain further knowledge of our upcoming units such as Time and Space. I think that being able to gather sites and images from the Internet and put them in one place for my class to access is a good way to expose them to some great resources within a controlled environment. I already began a Pinterest page with my colleagues and I would like to make it more student-friendly and accessible.
I would also like to use the Wiki page I created for this course with my students this year. A goal is to create an online discussion forum for my class to access independently both during and after school hours. In order to do this I will need to teach the students about what a discussion forum is for and how to use one. I will show examples of other discussion forums. I will also need to teach the class about Internet safety and discussion forum etiquette. I hope to pose unit questions such as, “How has our learning changed over time?” and receive many student responses. This is a goal I plan to implement within the next few weeks.