I entered this classroom with my eyes wide open. I did not feel comfortable utilizing technology, and was not sure what type of technology was available out there to use. My goal for the course was to gain an understanding of instructional technology and take steps toward integrating this technology into my classroom. As I progressed through the course, I began to become more comfortable with instructional technology and I started looking at the technology as tool that would help improve learning and motivate my students to become more engaged in learning. I feel like this class has opened my eyes to what is out there for students and teachers to utilize for education. I also learned that I am a technology immigrant, and I have a lot to learn. This course helped me reach my goals, and the outcomes caused me to take a look at my teaching style. It caused me to be more reflective, and made me realize it was time for me to make a change.
At the beginning of this course, I surveyed my students to assess their understanding of technology. I learned my students are extremely comfortable with technology. Based on their level of understanding, I started giving my students options when it comes to homework. The students are allowed to email me their homework, they can post homework to my class blog, and they hold discussions on-line through my blackboard site. I will continue to use this technology and research other types of technology to implement into my classroom. This course also required me to analyze my school and the district improvement plans. I was shocked realize that our school did not address technology in the Campus Improvement Plan. The District Improvement Plan was full of Technology goals. I feel like technology should be a focus on every campus in the 21st Century. The kids need to be plugged in at school as much as they are a home, or else we risk losing them.
One factor that is always an issue for any educator is time. One outcome that I wanted to achieve was the implementation of a grade level website. I started this project, but I just ran out of time. I believe a grade level website would be beneficial to parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community members. The website would allow updated/current information at the click of the mouse. This is a project that I hope to complete by the end of the year in preparation for next year.
When preparing and working on the assignments in this course, I feel that I was successful. Time was an issue, but I pushed on and did not give up. I found the articles to be interesting and insightful. I was able to learn a great deal from the articles. The discussion board postings were also beneficial because it gave me a chance to hear from my classmates. The only drawback from the assignments came from the written work. Creating staff development sessions that focus on instructional technology will help me with my future placement as an administrator, but to create and implement in such a short time frame was extremely difficult. Overall, the assignments had meaning and purpose.
Taking this course has changed my attitude, skills, and my view on instructional technology. I am now more comfortable with technology, and I have already changed my planning ideas to incorporate more technology into my lessons. I was afraid of technology before this course. I would not utilize a large amount of technology, and now I have changed my view. My skill level was rather low at the beginning of the course, and now it has increased. I am by far not an expert, but I am no longer afraid to try new things in my classroom. As a future school administrator, I now have a baseline of knowledge concerning technology and I also have a first hand account of how easy and effective instructional technology can be in the learning environment.
Before taking this course, I had a very limited knowledge of the blogging world. I had heard of blogging and I have had several friends that had blogs, but I did not know about their educational use. Now that I have a better understanding of blogs and blogging, I can see the educational power of a blog. Blogging is a platform which opens up communication between teachers and students. Blogs also allow for collaboration between teachers, parents, and professionals. Blogging can be used for online discussions that can take place day or night. Blogs allow for timely feedback from posts and discussions. I think the use of blogs and blogging will continue to increase as we focus on technology goals for the 21st century.
The educational concerns of blogs and blogging are very much in line with internet use. Blogs can be accessed by people from outside of the community. On-line safety is always a concern when working with students. Students often have a false sense of security when it comes to working in cyberspace. There is always a threat of students posting personal information or provocative or inappropriate images/content on the blog. Schools have to be aware of the dangers and train our students on the proper use of the blog. I believe with proper training the majority of the students will use this tool the way it was intended. However, safety measures have to be in place and practiced.
Blogging can be used to increase communication with educational stakeholders through the use of on-line discussions, current topics covered in class, future topics, and other important dates. Blogs can also be used as an on-line newspaper to keep parents in the loop of what is going on with their child’s class and school. I also think you could use blogs to increase partnerships between community members and the school. It would allow instant access for each partner. The blog could also increase the parents’ interest in community events. The blog serves as a multi-dimensional communication device that can be accessed anytime of day from any computer that has internet access. Instructional technology has been around for awhile, but it is still in its infant state. The horizon is limitless as long as everyone continues to be a life-long learners and learn as much as possible.
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