Application 8: Reflective Essay

Throughout this course, I have consistently been frustrated. I am frustrated because I have realized there are so many technologies available to teachers in order to better understand and teach the material to our students. I am frustrated because learning these new technologies has been a bit of a struggle for me. In the end, these frustrations have proven to me that I am capable of learning how to utilize these new technologies in the classroom for the benefit of my students and education in general. This course has given me new insights to technology that I never thought were capable in the classroom. In short, this course has taught me that teachers along with students will always continue to learn, and this is truly important for the educational process.

Although I was familiar with how to incorporate some technology in the classroom, I am reminded of Dr. David Thornburg saying that implementing technology in the classroom is not necessarily doing different things but doing things differently (Laureate, 2008). Using an LCD projector to project a power-point presentation is not necessarily doing different things. However, this is different than the simple writing notes on the blackboard for students to copy. But in order to dramatically change the classroom, teachers have to utilize technology in ways that not only create excitement and enthusiasm for the subject material, but teachers have to find ways to make the material meaningful to the students (Dede, 2008). Furthermore, Hall Davidson points out classrooms do not have to become radically different, but if teachers empower their students and give them the tools and training, then the skills learned will funnel into the classroom (Laureate, 2008).

This course has truly opened my eyes to the importance of technology in the classroom. With all the debate out there concerning education reform, I believe implementing technology in the classroom will not only help our students learn, but it will also prepare our students for the global work force and teach them 21st century skills, such as collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication (Trilling, 2005). I have seen my skills in terms of technology increase over the past two months. What I thought was never possible, I have learned a great deal of the importance of technology and how to use simple, yet effective tools in the classroom. Even though I have used blogs in my classroom for the past two years, I have learned from this course and through the discussions with my colleagues of how to take the usage of blogs to the next level. For instance, I have noticed my students’ writing is becoming better and better week in and week out. Students are now writing for an audience, instead of writing for just the teacher, which requires them to be more attentive to their spelling, grammar, and arguments (Thornburg, 2008). Secondly, I can continue to push towards implementing more technology based assignments. For instance, I plan on utilizing the lesson plan I created for Application 6 (with many modifications per Dr. Wolsey). The use of wikis, blogs, and podcasting in the classroom will hopefully provide the “spark” students need to be accountable for their own education and create a product in which they will use the skills of technology they already have in order to create a project based assessment that is meaningful and relevant to their skills (Nussbaum-Beach, 2008). By providing these project based lessons, such as wikis, podcasts, or blogs, students can now find relevance and meaning to their own education based on the material that interests them (Keengwe, 2008). As an educator, it is my goal to find meaningful and relevant assessments that motivates my students to want to learn. All teachers realize that students need to be motivated and interested to do the work. By utilizing technology, students will have an opportunity to learn 21st century skills and apply that knowledge, which is most relevant to their lives (Keengwe, 2008).

There is no doubt that the students of today are learning in ways that are different than how teachers were educated. Technology is playing a major role in today’s classroom, and teachers must be aware of this on a daily basis. Along with implementing new project based assessments, as an educator, I can only see myself becoming a better teacher in the future. From what I have learned during this course, I plan on using my knowledge to create meaningful, project-based assessments that cater to the needs of this generation’s students. By implementing technology and providing simple but effective instruction on how to use that technology, my role as a teacher in the classroom will change from primary instructor to facilitator. Furthermore, I will continue to read the literature concerning technology in the classroom and its positives and negatives. I believe the positives will outweigh the negatives considering that a majority of our students spend, on average, six hours per day using some sort of technological device whether it is a computer, laptop, iPod, Internet, video games, or simply watching television (Thornburg, 2008). I will have to keep this in mind when planning for the future on how to implement technology in the classroom. Furthermore, I will also have to keep in mind that teaching today has changed because of the use of technology in the classroom; teachers have to adapt in order to meet the needs of today’s digital natives (Prensky, 2001).

In order for students and teachers to meet their expectations, it is important for students and teachers to set goals for the future. In terms of technology, I have two specific goals that I would like to see achieved within the next two years. First of all, by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, half of my assessments in my World History class will be technology based and project based assessments incorporating the use of blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other technology based projects. Throughout every unit of study, I plan on incorporating a technology, project based assessment, which utilizes 21st century skills of collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and computing. Each project will consist of learning opportunities for students to address the skills they already have while using technology to incorporate these skills. For example, instead of using simple paper and pencil responses to questions, students will have to create a podcast telling the importance of democracy to the Western world. These responses will be accessible online for all students to access. Also, students will implement the usage of blogging on a weekly basis. Students will have to create a blog in order to answer in depth questions concerning the material we are studying in class. I will accomplish this goal by modeling and facilitating the use of technology in the classroom by applying what I have learned through this course and extend it to my students. Very early in the school year, I will be a facilitator of technology, teach my students how to use the technologies available to them, and provide instant feedback online to my students that may need help.

My second goal is to create a virtual classroom, which consists of student led instruction through the use of wikis to develop student achievement in the classroom. By the end of the 2011 school year, every World History student of mine will contribute to a wiki page that begins on the very first day of school. Students will be required to find meaningful and interesting sources online and copy those resources on a wiki, which will incorporate every topic of study throughout the year. Not only will students be accountable for their work, but they will also post information and sources that are relevant and interesting to them. By the end of the year, each student will have an opportunity to contribute their insight and knowledge to a particular course of study. Part of education is making the information meaningful and interesting to the students. Doing this type of project based assessment, students can collaborate, communicate, and offer their own personal touch to a topic of study. Furthermore, this wiki can be used as a good review for the state tests, if the information posted is based on the standards of California, which is the information I will instruct my students to look for before posting their sources. Ultimately, this is my goal: create a virtual classroom in which students provide the sources and learning while I sit back and facilitate the learning. Will this work? I do not know; however, I will try this to see if this does have an impact on student learning and student accountability. Again, these are goals, and I will never know if I have achieved these if I do not try.

In close, I have seen the light in terms of how technology not only impacts the students but the teachers as well. Teaching 21st century skills while incorporating technology in the classroom will only have a positive effect for student achievement and learning. Teachers have to adapt to the modern era of technology and incorporate meaningful and relevant assessments in the classroom. It is up to teachers to incorporate the 21st century skills of today for the global work force of tomorrow. In order to do this, teachers and students have to be able to use technology in ways that not only foster educational growth, but also provide meaning and inspiration for the students to achieve success in the classroom. It is up to students and teachers both to make a commitment to use technologies in the classroom to not only utilize the skills of today’s learner, but to take those skills and shape them into the learner’s of tomorrow.

References:

Keengwe, J., Onchwari, G., & Wachira, P. (2008). The use of computer tools to support meaningful learning. AACE Journal, 16(1), 77–92. Database:Education Research Complete database. Accession Number: 28513453

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). [DVD]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. “Transforming the Classroom with Technology: Part 1.” Baltimore, MD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). [DVD]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. “Transforming the Classroom with Technology: Part 2.” Baltimore, MD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). [DVD]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. “Transforming the Classroom with Technology: Part 3.” Baltimore, MD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). [DVD]. “Debate: Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants”. Baltimore, MD.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5). Database: Proquest Central Database. Accession Number:1074252411.

Nussbaum-Beach, S. (2008). No limits. Technology & Learning, 28(7), 14–18. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/article/8466

Trilling, B. (2005). Towards learning societies and the global challenges for learning with ICT. TechForum. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/techlearning/pdf/events/techforum/ny05/Toward_Learning_Societies.pdf

Application 5 - Podcasting

I must say that there are definitely ways for me to implement podcasts into my classroom. Also, I was a little overwhelmed with trying to edit and mix some of these tracks together. I think the rough nature of the podcast with the ums and ahs does have its place. This is something I will try to get better at and also try to implement into my classroom.

The following links are for Application 5. The track titled "Application 5 Podcast" is a recording of the class discussion I had last week concerning the use of technology in the classroom. The track titled "Demographics and Podcast" is the overall makeup and breakdown of the students that were involved with my class discussion.

Links to audio tracks:
http://www.archive.org/details/MichaelPaloApplication5Podcast/
http://www.archive.org/details/MichaelPaloDemographicsofPodcast/