Reflection: Final Blog Posting

*In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?
This course has been very helpful. As I did the readings in the text book, I had many thoughts and ideas on what I can do with my classes in the future. With teaching math to seventh graders and it being my third year, I was looking for new and different ways to teach the material. This class has opened my eyes to blogs, WIKI, and podcasts. I will be sure to find many different ways to incorporate these items into my classroom.

*In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?
I have realized that there is more than the traditional book and lecture way of teaching. I have discovered with this class that I can make my lessons different, fun and still educational in a whole new way. It has made me even more excited to teach the material I have been teaching in a whole new way.

*In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?
I have realized that sometimes I am not the only one with something to teach. I have discovered that some of my students have different ways of learning and enjoy sharing them. It has taught me new ways to do things that I have never thought of doing. I will in the future ask the students more often if they have suggestions or different ways that they work through the material. I will have them share it with the class rather than me telling the class how to do it.

*In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching and leaning with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?
I can continue to keep myself up to date on the latest technology. Even it the school does not have the latest and greatest technology, I can at least expose the students to it. Some of them may have the newest technology at home and will want to contribute to the discussion. I can also work with the software and programs that the school has and use them in some of my lessons.

*Set two long-term goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systematic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?
Goal 1: To incorporate at least one new technology aspect to my lessons each year.
This will be accomplished by learning the new or latest programs that the school
has to offer and incorporate them into my lessons where appropriate. If it is a
program we currently do not have, I would talk to administration to see if there is
a way that the school would be able to acquire the program.

Goal 2: To have the students create a lesson on one aspect of the math material and
incorporate some aspect of technology into it.
This will be accomplished by assigning the students one aspect of math. They then
would decide what form of technology they want to use. If it is a form they are not
familiar with, then I would make sure to get them the proper training. Once the
lesson is complete, they would present it to the class as a regular lesson.

*Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course.
I have come to a much greater understanding of the different technology opportunities there are out there for me to use with my class. I had heard of some of them, but did not know exactly how to incorporate them into my material. After taking this course, there are so many different ways that I want to use them that I can not wait to do it.

Podcast Interview on Technology

Here is the podcast interview I have created for my blog. Unfortunately, I was unable to record my students because of regulations in the district I work for. It would have taken anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get approval to collect data from the students. With permission, I was able to interview my children and find out their uses of technology at home and school. Hope you enjoy!

My Podcast