EDUC 6715 Final Reflection

This course New and Emerging Technologies has really opened my eyes to the different types of emerging and disruptive technologies that exist. Initially I thought of all the technology that my school had locked in the store room somewhere and realized that as each year progresses something new comes out that replaces the old and makes its use much more user-friendly. On Wednesday of this week we had the interactive whiteboard installed in each classroom thus replacing the LCD projectors that we used to wheel into each class we had. This technology has proven success after two days of use. Most teachers are excited to use it. One student tried swinging from the part that hung overhead so the projector could project images onto the screen. He was dealt with accordingly and it sent a strong message to other students that if you break it you will be dealt with accordingly. It has improved class participation and helped to alleviate behavioral issues since all students are fully engaged in the learning process. It also appeals to the visual and kinesthetic learners.

The Horizons Project had some invaluable ideas and resources that will definitely help to enhance the teaching and learning of math and other subject areas. I definitely see myself as an agent of change in my school. Already my coworkers are asking for assistance in lesson planning. The math department has a presentation to do on a differentiated lesson and my contribution will be on the technology aspect. I plan to use a video from brainpop.com and the graph application on the whiteboard to show how a lesson can be differentiated. I also want to introduce them to a social network site such as Ning.com. \

Overall I am very satisfied with this course. Walden definitely knew how to culminate the program with a bang where we could incorporate what we have learned to our practice. This was not a degree without a purpose. I believe it has satisfied all my requirements of a program that would fit my needs. I am now confident that I can lead my school and students with 21st century skills and prepare my students to be successful in their future endeavors.

EDUC 6714 Final Reflection

As the countdown begins to the end of this course of study, I must say it has truly been an enlightening experience working and learning in such an environment. Not only am I walking away with a Masters degree, but I am completing this program more knowledgeable about how to integrate technology in my classroom. This class taught me so much about the UDL and DI that when I got observed this week my AP told me that I was doing a fantastic job differentiating my lessons. She absolutely loved the powerpoint presentation and she thought my students were well engaged. The resources from the differentiation station that we had to participate in made me understand more of how to collaborate in group settings no matter where we are.

It is incidental that on Wednesday of this week Interactive smartboards were installed in each classroom. The level of participation in my classes has improved drastically. Now I have students who would otherwise shy away from participating wanting to participate. I save their work in files so that they can go back later on and view their work. This is an awesome way to differentiate the lesson to address the needs of all learners. Now I can show clips directly related to the lesson and not have to worry about the technology failing. I would like to try using a ning account for students to communicate with each other and with me.

Overall this course was very beneficial to me. I have achieved my goal.

Spotlight on Emerging Technology

Here is the link to my presentation.
voicethread.com/share/1026410/

Reflecting on my GAME Plan

Thanks to this course I have devised new and improved ways to enhance my pedagogical skills. I have met all the goals I had planned in my GAME plan. My students are benefiting from the resources and some of my coworkers have come on-board. I know my principal has been thinking of ways he could use this medium to communicate with staff. My students are offering constructive feedback on their classmates work and offering creative problem solving strategies. My pass rate has improved by over 50% based on the regents scores and I will get even more success as I incorporate more strategies and tools to help my students to succeed. The podcast works well because I had one student tell me that she could listen to the podcast when she was having difficulty completing an assignment. I have recorded pointers students need for problem-solving.

Reflection

In retrospect I have realized that I was not teaching my students how to critically evaluate a website prior to using it. I do not even think my district was aware of the intricacies that are involved in us allowing our students to use various websites. I will definitely have my students check the validity of websites using REAL prior to using information presented.

I have grown even more in my area of expertise. When it comes to locating information I am encouraging my students to set up accounts with Delicious which will help them to narrow their search results. I like Delicious especially because it narrows the content and it even shows applicable videos that can help with their research. Students will be encouraged to ask essential questions when working on a project and to share the challenges they faced and how they overcame the challenges. They are encouraged to think critically and to synthesize information prior to using it.

One goal I have is to incorporate more technology in my class. I think I want to focus of digital storytelling to help my students apply themselves. Digital storytelling is an interesting way to compile all the information learned and real world applications into one application. I can use this tool as an alternate means of assessing learning.

Reflecting on GAME Plan for students

As I think of what I have achieved since I implemented my GAME Plan, I realize that I am even closer to my goal which is to implement more technology in my classroom to aid and enhance my pedagogical skills. My students have learned to collaborate with their peers by offering suggestions, help and support as they learn together through use of email and blogging. The NETS-S standards encourage the use of digital tools to communicate and collaborate efficiently. I believe I am closer to achieving this goal since my students have learned to leave constructive feedback, whether by asking a question or offering an alternate means to solving a problem. They have also learned to respect each other's opinion in that they are becoming great digital citizens. In my GAME Plan the goal is for them to use and improve their critical thinking skills. They are working on such based on the assignments they are given to offer feedback. Sometimes I may give them a problem with a step by step solution and they need to explain to me what they think the person did wrong and tell what the person should have done. Sometimes they have to perform research as was evident in a lesson taught on inequalities where they had to find illustrations of inequalities in their everyday to reinforce the concept of 'less than' and 'greater than.' Technology has definitely made a difference in the way I approach my lessons since I want to make math come alive for students in high school.

GAME Plan Update

So I set up an account at www.ning.com so that I can restrict who is invited to view the blog. I have also uploaded clips from YouTube for my students to watch. The videos will help them if they have forgotten how to solve a particular problem. I am thinking of creating a podcast for my lessons, that way I can include my pointers that I want them to remember. My nagging thought is 'do I allow them to use their personal email accounts or should I allow them to set up a new account and link it to this account?'