In the class that I am about to complete, titled "Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work and Society," I have been able to focus on how technology influences the lives of adults and students alike. I have also had the chance to study how the lives of today's children have been affected due to growing up from as early as they can remember with technology in their hands. I did not have to look far to study this first hand, watching my four-year old daughter play games on my wife's IPhone that she has downloaded through applications.
My skills of using technology have definitely improved, now having been exposed to blogging, wikis, and podcasting. Not only have I become familiar with all of these on a personal level, but I have also realized how all three can be used in my classroom with students. I have also realized how these come in handy with collaborating with fellow colleagues. One of the newest and most rewarding experiences and one that I will certainly make use of is the searching and reading of educational blogs and allowing valuable experiences and information become a part of my classroom.
I plan on finding new and exciting ways to incorporate technology into my classroom on a regular basis, well beyond just using it to type out papers. I will make use of blogging and wikis and find ways to integrate these into my science, social studies, language arts, and math classes and will not feel afraid to do so as before. Smart boards and white boards are on the top of my wish list and will do whatever I can to get one into my classroom. Through this class and other classes in my master's program, I plan on trying my best to absorb and apply the newly attained knowledge and skills to my teachings. This knowledge and the knowledge I will gain through the blogs that I have discovered and will discover, I will be able to teach to my 21st century students.
As stated above, I want to make on of my goals during the next two years to do whatever it takes to have a smart board/white board placed in my classroom. I can not even imagine what it would be like to have that technology at my finger tips while educating my students. Through my last application and creating my podcast, I was able to talk to a student who has a teacher with a smart board. Her eyes lit up when describing how her teacher seamlessly will go from instructing to answering a student's question by searching the web, all while displaying her actions on the white board in front of her class. She also described how her teacher uses the board to model math problems. Her excitement for learning in this manner rubbed off on me instantly, and I will do what ever is in my power to get one in my classroom!
Another goal of mine over the next two years, is to just simply incorporate forms of technology regularly in my teachings. This will be beyond a tech class once a week and the typing of reports. I can envision having computers to be a center in my classroom all of the time. I will have my students blogging journal entries, exploring educational websites, completing research projects, and using wiki pages in many various ways. I am only half-way complete with my classes through Walden, and I look forward to learning many more ways to work technology into my classroom in the most educational and beneficial was possible.
In conclusion, I was very pleased with what I have learned through this class and through collaborating with other fellow teachers (students) as we exchanged thoughts and ideas through the discussion board topics. As I reflect on what I have learned and gained as an educator in this class, I can certainly feel the excitement building as some fears have been erased, some walls have been broken down, and some windows and doors have definitely been opened!
