Completing the
requirements of this course has helped my knowledge of technology
immensely. I’ve learned it’s not a
bad thing to be ‘forced’ to try new things, because once I was immersed in the
activity, even if it was through trial and error, I was eventually able to
complete my task, and I learned so much through the process. Because of this course, I was able to:
1. Start a blog
2. Subscribe and post to a professional blog
3. Create a class wiki
4. Produce a podcast
5. Subscribe to Google Reader, where I now
get a continuous feed of the blogs I have subscribed to
This course
reinforced the concept of the need for real-world, authentic learning for our
students. Particularly
enlightening to me were the illustrations of what the 21st century
workplace is like, and how far our classrooms are from that reality. We must narrow this gap and make our
students’ learning process more meaningful, or we will be doing them a great
injustice while allowing our future workforce to get even more behind the
global work environment.
I have become increasingly more aware through this course of the
effectiveness of a learner-centered classroom, as opposed to the
teacher-centered atmosphere like the classrooms I grew up in. Hall Davidson, in a video clip from
“Bringing the Fun into Teaching with Technology” claims that a
students-centered classroom “allows students to break down classroom
walls. They become responsible for
their own learning. They can
express themselves in such a way that they surpass the standards” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). He goes on to say, “Students can take
their own interests and integrate those into the work, which engages them such
that they take complete ownership and express their knowledge in a truly
authentic way. What’s not to like
about that? We do not have to be
the experts, or know everything about our subject matter. We are responsible, however, for modeling
the search process, teaching proper Internet procedures and etiquette, as well
as helping students find their way through the vast amount of information they
will encounter.
I plan on continuing down this path of expanding my knowledge base, both by learning new applications and software myself, and by leading through example as my students and I discover together. As we allow ourselves to be the learners along with the students, “students can take their own interests and integrate those into the work, which engages them such that they take complete ownership and express their knowledge in a truly authentic way,” according to Hall Davidson (2010).
I have set some long-term goals for myself professionally. First, within two years, if I am still
in the regular classroom, it is my goal to have placed a Web 2.0 authentic
learning activity into every unit of my English 9 and 10 classes. I want to build a student-centered
classroom as much as possible, using technology to help replicate the 21st
century workplace. I want my
students to build on 21st century skills such as the information
literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, teamwork and
collaboration, information technology, and leadership.
There will be barriers and issues involved in reaching this goal,
especially within the confines of my small rural high school. Although I feel we are better off
technologically than many of our neighboring schools, there will be the
challenges of having enough computer time with students, having fast
connections, etc. We are far short
of the 1:1 computer/student ratio that we need in order to truly become a 21st
century learning environment; however, my administration has been very
supportive of my master’s work thus far, as my principal is extremely aware of
and enthusiastic about integrating as much technology as possible into our
school.
My second goal is loftier, and more of professional career goal. I would like to become an Integration
Technology Specialist, working with teachers to help them integrate meaningful
technology in their classrooms, finding ways to save them time while connecting
them with applications and software to bring our students into the 21st
Century. I am increasingly seeing
job openings on the Internet, and have already talked with my building
principal, who has ideas of how she can use my expertise in the future.
Of the four courses I’ve taken in this master’s program, this one has
by far been the most useful and interesting. I feel my colleagues and I took
some big leaps toward becoming more aware of, and actually implementing the
knowledge needed to become facilitators of 21st Century Learning.
Resources:
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010).
Bringing the fun into teaching with technology.” [DVD] Understanding the impact of technology on education,
work, and society. Baltimore, MD:
Dr. David Thornburg.
Laureate Education Inc. (Producer). (2010). The
changing role of the classroom teacher part 1. [DVD] Understanding the impact
of technology on education, work, and society. Baltimore, MD: Dr. David
Thornburg.
