Just from these last few weeks I feel as if my outlook on teaching has changed drastically. Before enrolling in this class I knew that I wanted to incorporate technology into my lessons, however, after learning all the possibilities that are out there for me to use it makes me even more excited to become a teacher. Knowing that I can make difference by not only being a teacher but a guide for students to be successful in their futures simply by introducing them to different ways of learning puts a huge smile on my face. I wish that as a student I would have received the opportunity to use these different tools to aide me in my studies, I feel it would have made me a lot stronger academically.
Especially living in Eastern Kentucky I want to bring the different types of technology into my students lives. I want to show them and motivate them to learn and try their very hardest. I want to show them that even though they don't have a lot of material things, they can still be successful and to never give up on their dreams. I want them to know that I am there to help them and make the process of learning as enjoyable as possible, and by discovering their strengths and weaknesses I feel I will be able to do so. Motivation is key. Motivating them to learn, motivating them to study, motivating them to learn outside of the box.
I can only hope that my growth with continue from now until I retire. I will do whatever I have to, learn whatever I need to and advocate as much as I can in order to provide my students with a successful school year. Most people get excited about receiving gifts or getting money, but to me I'd rather see a child progress and show that they are learning and are having fun with it. That to me is priceless.
- Description: Students have to identify what word is being said by clicking on the yarn ball. It's a race against 3 other kittens to see who makes it to the bed first.
- Educational value: This game could be used for students in Kindergarten/1st grade. I feel like the value of this game is high because it is very important for younger children to grasp certain sight words. This game just gives them the extra, fun practice that they need.
- Description: This game provides practice in spelling. Coconuts with words in them fall to the beach, you must match the missing letters to the correct word coconut. If a coconut reaches the beach before you blast it, the game will end.
- Educational value: This game could be used for primary, in particular 2nd and 3rd grades. Some of the words that are used in this game are sometimes difficult for children to spell. So for them to get the extra practice seeing how they are spelled correctly it should be easier for them to memorize it.
- Description: Students use arrows on the computer keyboard to drive a car and hit whatever the category is, for example in the picture shown above the goal was to hit all multiples of 2.
- Educational value: This game can be used for graders 2-4 to practice and freshen up on basic math skills. Multiplication facts can be hard for students to accomplish but by using a more fun approach I think it helps them become more successful.
It is imperative to use assistive technology inside the classroom because it gives students a way to complete their work independently without having to become stressed and unmotivated with the assignments. This way they are able to retain information all the while improving skills that they may be weak in such as spelling, organizing, math computation, etc. The idea that nobody is perfect is show by using UDL, everyone regardless how intelligent they are can use some sort of help. Assistive technology also allows students that may be struggling to do their work without everyone being displayed to their difficulties. There are applications that can be used on most forms of technology that can be accessed by students that will better their work.
The three principles of UDL deal with 3 questions, "why" "what" and "how". By incorporating these three principles into daily lesson plans, teaching a group of diverse learners is made easier. Knowing what form of technology to use and what information needs to be taught before trying to teach a lesson makes learning more successful for students. It is important that each different learner is receiving the same amount of instruction and fairly in a way that they can comprehend.
In my own classroom I intend on using technology to support my teaching, I will do this by taking the curriculum that has to be taught and integrate different approaches that can be helpful to all of the learners. For example, if there is an assignment which involves writing the students need to have a place to go in order to organize their ideas other than just a piece of paper, as well as a place to spell/grammar check and resources for researching information. Another way I would use technology to support my teaching could be in teaching mathematics. While some students feel like math is an easy subject I know there are a lot of students who do not. There are applications that can be found online that can help students learn different formulas, multiplication facts, and other skills that can be easily remembered and used when students are doing computations.
The role of technology in the classroom pertaining to teaching and learning is important especially in the 21st century. It is a way to motivate students to be creative and represent information in new ways, other than the traditional pen and paper. Using technology tools as a way a teaching is giving students the opportunity to get information in new ways in order to access the higher level thinking skills. Students need to be taught how to work with different technological tools so they are able to take these necessary skills with them through the remainder of their schooling and their future career.
I would consider a variety of tools to use inside the classroom, more specifically those that get the children working interactively. They should be given the chance to express their creativity by using different applications to make slideshows, videos, music, blogs, websites, etc. I believe these things will come in handy once they are older and have to perform similar tasks.
On a day to day level technology can be used to assess information that the students have learned. For example, you could give them an assignment that you've planned and in order to make sure they understand the material you could have them do a short quiz or assessment on an iPod, iPad, computer, any handheld device. This can determine whether you need to spend more time on that lesson or if you're ready to move on to the next. You can also use technology as a way to manage behavior and create a rewards system. Though I honestly feel like if they are given the chance to work with technology there shouldn't be that many students who would be willing to get into trouble.
Hopefully, when I have my own classroom I will be able to create an application that the students can access to give feedback to what they have learned giving them an opportunity to reflect. It would be wonderful to have something the students/parents can access when they aren't at school just to make sure they understand clearly what the teacher is asking of them. It would also be a good way for parents to stay involved so they know how their child is doing in class as well as what we are learning at the time.
The constructivist approach is very significant when it comes to teaching students, in my opinion just as important as the thought of behaviorist and cognitivist approaches. I feel like there are ways to tie in portions of all three approaches in the classroom. Behaviorist believe strongly in rewards and reinforcement, both in which could be used by integrating technology. There are websites that can be used to enforce behavior throughout the school day. Having these things available for the kids to see could definitely be a way to reinforce positive behaviors. Cognitivist believe that information needs to be discussed and go through all of the senses which could also be used in technology. Researching information and being able to discuss with their peers and teachers about what they have found. The Constructivist approach is the most closely tied with technology by having students construct their own information the way that they feel most comfortable with. This relates to my metaphor because I picked cupcake baker and mentioning their different learning styles and preferences fits in with the ingredients part of the process.
I feel like as a future teacher I need to take all of these approaches into perspective because I will be teaching so many different kinds of students. Each student learns a different way and it is important that I realize that and use these things to help their school year go by easier with the maximum learning possible. I have a lot of technological goals for my students. I feel like all of them should be able to use the Microsoft Office applications to an extent. For example, when I was in grade school my librarian taught us how to use the Microsoft Powerpoint application and I couldn't have made it throughout my other school years without that knowledge. Even if it's showing them how it works and having them come up with information to go inside the powerpoint to start out with I feel as if it would help. I want them to be able to find different reliable websites giving them information they can use for their assignments. I want them to be able to use technology to expand their critical thinking skills and broaden their knowledge.
Having an educational technology philosophy is important for many reasons. The most apparent reason to me would be that it gives you the opportunity to express yourself and the beliefs that you possess. Even though everyone may not agree with what you believe it's fine because not everyone is the same. Especially when it comes to beliefs about education, no two people believe the exact same thing. I feel that it is important to have your philosophy written down to use as a reflection. Honestly speaking, I think that your outlook will definitely change once you have had experience in that profession. Ideas that you thought were going to work when you were in the process of reaching your degree may turn out to be exactly how you thought they would, or it could be the complete opposite.
Since my toddler years I have always aspired to be a teacher, I feel honestly as if that was what I was put on this Earth to do. With that being said I am in no way perfect and have many aspirations and goals I would like to reach while I grow as a teacher. I want to always be optimistic about trying new ideas in order to put information in a new perspective for my students. I don't want them to dread coming to class thinking we will be doing the same stuff every day. I want to have the positive, motivating attitude every time I step into the classroom regardless what is going on in my personal life. The idea of education and it's importance should definitely always be enforced, I want them to know that they aren't just there to have a bunch of information thrown there way, that they are actually going to be able to use what they learn in the future. Encouraging students to do their best on whatever they are completing, even something as small as coloring in the lines, writing their names, etc. is a very important concept to teach I believe. I want to be a leader, role model, caretaker, and always make sure my students are learning in a safe environment giving them what they need to succeed. I would "fit" technology in by making sure that I do whatever I can to make sure they have the supplies they need. There are a lot of websites and groups that give schools opportunities to get technology in classrooms. I want to incorporate technology into the curriculum that has to be taught with multimedia, educational games, work on typing skills, basic computer skills, etc.
When it comes to teaching and using technology I consider myself like a cupcake baker.
I have all of these different ingredients that need to be mixed together (students, information to be taught, attitudes, personalities, problems to overcome, struggles), which is when you first get a class together and you have all of these different types of students with different backgrounds. You have to make sure that they are getting everything they can from the classroom in order for the year to be successful (cupcake to taste right). Once they're mixed together and we have the correct proportions the cupcakes are ready to bake, which is like the learning process. Once you figure out how each individual student best succeeds with their work you can make sure that you touch base with their strong points. Once they've baked you let them cool and put the icing on top which is how much they've gained throughout their school year. Putting the icing on the cupcake is seeing how much a student has taken from your class. Having them leave your classroom with smiles on their faces knowing they are one step closer to having a successful future. To me, that'd the sweetest flavor I could ever imagine.
