Integrating Technology and Creating Change as Teacher Leaders

           As I have continued in school I have definitely seen the amount of technology in classes increasing. From what’s in the classroom itself, like computers to smart boards to what we, as students are able to use; from computers to our own cell phones – it is definitely taking over. Mostly every classroom today is using technology; although some are more advanced than others. To me it is a challenge when new technology is presented to us as students and as users of the technology. It can be overwhelming sometimes and a little frustrating because it takes time and effort to learn and grow comfortable to use new technology when you’re already use to the old way. But this class has really opened my view to how much technology can change and enhance teaching.

        Although it is always a positive thing to learn new and faster ways to do something, new technology also brings up issues. I have been in classrooms where it is a new class, a new teacher and new technology where the teacher is semi familiar but not comfortable to use the technology smoothly on the first day of class. As said in the class textbook, administrative support is a key piece of the puzzle to bring success for the teacher and student – which should be mandatory and planned well ahead of time.

        We live in a fast-paced and changing world where as teachers, part of the package is constantly learning about and applying new technologies in and out of the classroom; part of that is involving students in the changes. Becoming a technology-leading teacher means being the example and being familiar with what’s new and upcoming. Involving students doesn’t mean having them master it, simply introducing new technologies to them like how this class has done makes a huge difference in opening up their curiosity.

        In conclusion, integrating technology, as a teacher, means being at the forefront and being the leader in what’s technology-based for your classroom. Change is inevitable and part of mastering change is embracing learning, and as a teacher that is exactly our job.  

RESOURCES:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Designing Lessons and Developing Curriculum w/ Technology

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

-John Wooden

        When you think about teaching in Elementary School versus High School, it might seem easier and almost pointless to sit down and plan a lesson for the younger kids but that’s not completely true. Without lesson planning you are basically setting yourself up for a pointless lesson for your kids, therefore not setting up your students for success.

        I think my favorite part of the process is setting up goals for the students.  Goals are the reason why the lesson is being taught. As a personal experience more fascinating to learn then just goals on paper are goals involving technology. For example, in this class I have, not just learned about, but done and completed my own widgets to use in the future like, vokis and websites like www.freerice.com.

        The most creative aspect of the three-part process of lesson design is the methods part or the how to teach part. This for me can be the most difficult because of how wide your options can be. The great thing about technology is that there is pretty much already a how on every content possible on educational websites.

        The three parts of lesson planning, according to our class textbook include, academic content, teaching goals & methods and assessment & evaluation. None is more important than another but all parts are equally as important.  This goes along with methods and procedure of how to teach.  As said in the class text, a good way to sum the three parts with technology is : Technology helps teachers plan engaging learning experiences and instructional activities through online lesson planning templates and lesson plan websites.

Story Bird story

 RESOURCES:

Wooden, J. (n.d.). A quote by John Wooden. Retrieved November 17, 2015, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/62225-failing-to-prepare-is-preparing-to-fail 

Engaging Students in Performance Assessment & Reflective Learning

"Failure to give students a voice in educational decision-making is an opportunity lost"

        
        One of the biggest and crucial parts in teaching is feedback, aka assessments and evaluations on both the teacher and student. Without this, there would be no personal goals for the students or opportunities for growth. Like in the quote above, without hearing what the student is going through, teaching is pointless.

        There are many types of avenues for teachers and students to evaluate and assess each other and the material in regards to effectiveness. My personal favorite are anonymous surveys that let you express how you really feel without being afraid someone will push it to the side or treat you differently because of it. Another assessment that is all too familiar is the FCAT which is Florida's infamous standardized test. Another type of feedback are group projects which are another one of my favorites because you're working with your peers which evaluate you to help you improve.

         The most common and everyday assessment given is homework. This is the most common performance evaluation today. There are pros and cons to giving HW. If the point is just to regurgitate something without actually learning anything just for the teacher to fell like they did something then the student is not learning or growing. This is personally how most of my teachers ran their class. 

         The best assessments and most helpful are hands on learning projects. Instead of just reading from a book, watching a video on how-to, or listening to a lecture (not that there;s anything wrong with these of course), actually doing involves all your five senses and challenges you to want to know more about a particular subject and lets you have a say in what you're learning.

        In conclusion, there are many tools to engage students to have a voice in the classroom and without feedback there is really no point in assigning homework, projects, etc.


RESOURCES:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Education, F. (2015). K-12 Student Assessment. Retrieved November 4, 2015, from http://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment