Reflections

Reflections
In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?
This course has really helped me to develop new technology skills as a teacher and also as a citizen. I learned how to create and put to use a blog, how to collaborate through a wiki and also how to create a podcast. All of these things were new experiences for me and I enjoyed learning about all of them. I also enjoyed thinking critically and creatively about how to incorporate these technological ideas into a grade two classroom.
In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?
There were a few times throughout this course where I was very frustrated because I couldn’t figure something out. This reminded me of what it is like to learn something new and how frustrating it can be and how sometimes it is hard to persevere. Sometimes it’s good to be the learner again so that when you go back to being the teacher the uncomfortable feeling of being challenged is fresh in your mind.
  In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?
  This course has helped to enforce the importance of learner-centered classrooms. To incorporate 21st century skills the teacher should no longer be the dictator but instead be a facilitator of learning. The class should be involved in critical thinking and inquiry based problems. The teacher should be supporting these students with help and assistance rather than showing them what to do. This course has helped me see different ways to encourage collaboration and digital learning in any aged classroom.
In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?
As an educator that is dedicated to lifelong learning I believe that I need to continue to try new things while staying current with new technological ideas. It is important that I experiment with these ideas and find ways to integrate them into the classroom to encourage participation and build knowledge. In order to be a leader of technology I must be comfortable, familiar and up to date. As much professional development and experimentation as possible would be an asset to expanding my knowledge of learning, teaching and leading with technology to increase student achievement.
Set two long-term goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?
Goal Number 1: For my students to have the opportunity to collaborate with each other outside of school.
How I will Accomplish this Goal: I will accomplish this goal by having a class wiki that I teach the students how to use. It will have sections for subjects and topics that we are learning and places to share their information. The can use their computers at home to add information and also computer class in order to update and collaborate.
Goal Number 2: To have a classroom blog that can act as a showcase of the children’s work and also as a form of communication between parents and teacher.
How I will Accomplish this Goal: I will accomplish this goal by first having a permission sheet/survey signed by all of the parents to post the students work and to take into consideration any preferences for the site. I will also have to talk to my administrators about what content can be shared on the site. Eventually, I would like to assign students to post things on it for me in order to get them familiar with using a blog.
Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course?
My answers have not changed after this course. Incorporating more 21st century skills into my teaching has been a goal of mine that I have been working at for awhile. I think over the last few years my checklist would have changed from “rarely” to “sometimes” for several of these skills and now I am working towards being able to check “often.” It is coming along slowly but surely.

Podcast

Podcast Survey done of 3 grade 2 sudents in my class about their use and fimiliarity with technology.