In regards to encouraging technophobic colleagues, although I am not able to share my tech enthusiasm immediately, I have gained some tools and insights that will better prepare me to build those bridges in the future. Learning about the characteristics of adult learners will surely assist me when providing workshops or individual mentoring to my colleagues. Also, in many of the articles we read, there was information about teachers and technology and how best to support new technology users. I also feel that the wide range of software/Web 2.0 uses I have been familiarized with has given me a better assortment of tools to recommend and share with other educators. I am looking forward to my return to the classroom, when I can share this wealth of knowledge and hopefully encourage more teachers to become fully “connected” to the digital age.
Through the various projects, reflections, and articles, I have definitely increased my awareness of how best to implement technology in my own classroom and how to optimize student learning in general. Reading about, seeing samples, and creating my own tech projects or tools have been valuable ways for me to better understand how technology can, and should, be used for learning. This mix of exposure allowed me to see how things can be done well, read about how they were done, and then generate my own samples for use in my content area.
Becoming more tech savvy overall is inevitable when doing this coursework. The only way I would not have gained “savvy” was if I already knew everything, which of course I did not. Prior to this class, I had never really used PowerPoint (!) and wasn’t exactly sure what “Web 2.0” meant. I can now say that not only is PowerPoint far more interesting than I realized, but that Web 2.0 is one of my closest friends (and has been all along without me knowing it!). In addition to learning different programs, I have become more knowledgeable about technology policies and best practices, and have many more ideas in my “teacher tool belt” for how to incorporate technology into my content area, and that of others.
Integrating the Internet helped me to think about how much it can contribute, as well as how problematic it can become if something does not work correctly. This was not a new revelation for me, as I’ve integrated the Internet into lessons fairly often and have seen the issues that arise when the school Internet crashes or when a website doesn’t function properly. I have been encouraged to think more about how certain technologies might hinder learning more than help it or require extensive appropriate use policies, yet I still feel that most of the time the benefits are worth the hassle of planning and outweigh the drawbacks.
At this point, my goals remain essentially the same. I want to continue to find ways to help technophobes overcome their fears of technology in the classroom, but I would like to get started on actually embarking on that mission! My previous district has a new “technology committee” to help them decide which tools to incorporate into the new high school. Although I do not believe I can serve on this committee, I am going to see if I might be able to present them with some ideas or help them come up with some useful examples to share when they’re in front of the school board seeking support for their initiatives.
I will continue to seek further knowledge of technology integration in education and how best to implement it in my own classroom and those of others. This is a goal I feel I can never simply “attain”, but in which I can always achieve further growth. What I mean is that there will always be new ways to integrate technology and new studies regarding how to successfully implement a tool based on content, demographics, etc. While I may find what I believe are ideals in this area, I know that I will forever be able to build on this knowledge and modify implementation for increasing levels of student success. The same goes for becoming more technologically savvy. I will never know every possible program, technology, hardware, software, etc. As soon as I learn one, there are multiple others that pop up on the educational radar. Therefore, I must always continue to learn more about technology and its integration. Whether I’m learning a program in greater depth and with new applications, or finding out about a brand new technology, my “savvy” will always have room to grow.
One new goal I would like to achieve is a better understanding of how districts manage the transition into widespread technology-use. For example, when a district is first introducing interactive whiteboards, what does that look like at the district, school, and classroom level? I have seen these kinds of initiatives at the classroom level, and wonder how it can be done with the greatest success rather than having them used as chalkboards that require a stylus. I believe I will reach this goal either through my future MAET classes or by my own independent investigation, or both.
I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of this class and am grateful for the foundation of knowledge it has helped me build. I know I will be more successful in my coursework due to this class, and most importantly... a better TEACHER when I get back in the classroom.
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