Comprehensive Reflection

What follows is my comprehensive reflection on what I have learned during my Technologies in the Classroom summer session course at NAU.

1. How my understandings of the standards changed based on my experiences:

• Designing Lessons
• Teaching Lessons
• Assessing Student (Peer) Artifacts

As I began to design my first micro lesson, my desire was to use a piece of technology that I use quite often and this useful on many levels.  While teaching the lesson I came to see that the technology I chose, Google Earth, while useful, may have drawbacks for young users. 

 

The technology itself lends itself to discovery and the more you use it, the easier it becomes to find things.  In the classroom, however, this particular technology would cause the need for introduction that would take quite a bit of time.  I discovered this while trying to teach my lesson to my classmates.  Granted, children may actually be more adept to learning how to use Google Earth with less time, but the fact that Google Earth is not a product specifically intended for use by children brings up safety issues that teachers must be aware of so he or she can design a lesson with the protection of their students in mind.

 

I found when designing my lesson plans I was not fully aware at all times of what the output from the students would be.  In the future, I will make a more conscious effort to determine what student artifacts will be.  I feel this may actually make the lesson design phase easier as it provides an endpoint or goal outside of the standards of the lesson.

2. What I learned about preparation and teaching from my peers

• Lessons
• Feedback

Peer feedback on my lessons was positive, but I think my peers were perhaps basing their opinions on the potential of the content of my presentations rather than on my actual ability to teach it.  I felt prepared and I knew exactly what I wanted my classmates to learn, but when I saw their lessons in action, I realized I could have been more prepared and should have taken into account how supporting tools like handouts could have enhanced the lesson and made it not only easier to learn, but easier to teach as well.

3. How my experiences might impact my future teaching experiences.

The experience I gained from this class will help me in the future to understand when to use technology and when to hold back.  I must remember that a lesson that incorporates technology does not mean the entire lesson must be done using technology.  Any technology that is used in the classroom must be integrated into a larger lesson and should not overshadow the lesson being taught.

Preparation is extremely important to the success of any lesson and through the process of creating lessons for this class, I have realized I have work to do in this area.  I must remember each lesson is for the purpose of an outcome; they are not used simply to have fun.  Students of every ability must be thought of which may require thinking through the lesson plan two or three times in order to properly address the needs of all students.

• Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
• Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
• Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
• Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

The four standards listed above were part of the focus during the course.  As I reflect on these standards and compare what I thought about them at the beginning of the semester as compared to what I think now, I still find I believe standard 1 is the most important and effective goal any teacher can have.  Learning should be an experience that creates a sense of wonder about the world.  Children should leave the classroom looking for things to ask questions about.  I hope that this feeling within me will never change and that I may impart to my students the love of learning that I have come to know.

 

As I mentioned in my answer to question number 3, technology must be incorporated into lessons in the modern-day classroom in order to utilize every option available to us to teach and learn.  In designing plans that have a technology component, I now see that it is not always possibly to think of a lesson plan without knowing which technology you have available.  Finding the technologies first and then building a lesson around them will make the process smoother.

 

I have always been a proponent of teachers modeling behavior no matter what the circumstance.  As we move into the digital age, teachers must understand that their use of technology in the classroom may be a child's first exposure to it.  How we interact with that technology may influence how children come to feel about working with it.  Technology that does not do that which we ask of it when we ask it can be extremely frustrating, yes.  But we have to remember that our students see and hear everything and their opinions of working with technology must be positive if we are to expect them to embrace tool which will help them compete for jobs later in life.

 

Lastly, digital citizenship and responsibility does not end at the end of our fingertips.  We must instill in our students the idea that there are responsibilities that come with using technology.  We cannot give them tools that allow them the ability to impact their life or the lives of other negatively without first teaching about the severity of that impact.  From cyber-bullying to posting "selfies" or pictures of others online without permission, children must be made to understand that when they engage people online, whether it be other students, educators, or their very own family members, they must understand they have entered a community much like the one in the classroom.  If the actions they display online would not be acceptable in the classroom, then behavior modifications must be made to reduce negative impact and increase positive.