Reflection #1

Reflection:

Taking this course has really opened my eyes up to what is taking place in educational technology.  I knew that the use of technology was rising within the schools however I had no idea of how quickly it was being implemented.  I thought our district was keeping doing a good job at keeping pace with the growth of technology but as I have read articles and looked through wiki’s and blogs I see that there are school districts throughout the state that are far exceeding us.  I have learned that in order to understand educational technology’s role, you need to be immersed in the research that is available.  I had never used Twitter, Google Reader, and Diigo before.  I have come to see how easy it can be to keep informed.  I have also learned that it takes time, a lot of time but that it is okay not to try to view everything.

Tomorrow, I will not forget that using technology in the classroom is much more than using Smart Board lessons, educational and intervention games, and video.  Using technology in education to develop critical thinkers involves getting students involved in the process as well as the product.  I have learned that it is important to use technology outside of the classroom walls and school to create a global community.  I have learned that students are already ahead of the game when it comes to understanding the networking capabilities which technology can offer.  I need to catch up to them!

Before I go back to school in the fall, I would like to do more research on some of the sites that I found which would help direct my instruction with using technology.  Ideas are already running through my head.  I would like to start small.  I was thinking about setting up Twitter with another kindergarten class in our school so that we can compare and discuss the topics we are learning about.  I would like to set up a blog with parents so they can connect to and see what we are doing each week. I would like to use more video of the students and embed it into a website they can go to and review what we have done throughout the year.  The possibilities are endless.  I think my biggest challenge will be time management.  I would start small, maybe working on one or two projects a year and building from there so I don’t drive myself crazy. 

This course has helped me in finding resources that I can use to apply to my future knowledge and classroom instruction.  I know more than I did just two weeks ago about educational technology in general.  One thing I will reflect on as I try to develop ideas in the fall is how to coordinate technology with the current curriculum and how I can justify its value.