Final Reflection on ITC Class

As I look back at my time during this class I can say that the 8 weeks have actually flown by since the beginning of this class. I am glad to say that I have learned much during that time. I knew before this class began that I had a good knowledge of technology and its uses in the world and in school. I am always the person that people come to to ask questions about technology. I can train others how to use certain applications or websites that are available within in our school. I did soon realize how much I did not know, but was about to learn. Wikis, blogs and podcasts were introduced into my world. The ways that these tools can enhance my teaching and my students' learning is amazing. The comfort level with creating content such as blogs to share information and thoughts with a larger community is empowering. Finally having experienced the process of creating a wiki and a podcasts, there is an excitement to jump right in with my students. Actually we have already creating a wiki on endangered animals. The kids are a little nervous yet excited.

The ability to incorporate technology in my classroom and address the different learning styles of all of my students energizes me and pushes me to learn more and teach even more. I know that some students have a hard time seeing how what they are being taught is beneficial to them. They feel that whatever the teacher wants them to learn, they don't need or they just are not interested. The integrating of technology, helps me, as a teacher to make more connections between the content and the students lives. The more connections that are made, the more chances for real learning that exist. With the exposure to media that today's students have, why not use these tools to reach them as much as possible.

This class has also allowed to become more comfortable with the idea of a learner centered environment. I enjoy the possibilities that this environment brings to the educational setting. The use of technology, is a place that I am very comfortable with in school and within my personal life. Obviously incorporating it into the classroom in order to become a guide/facilitator is the logical next step. Technology is also a tools that will help me teach my students 21st century skills. I want to be the guide that shows them how to read critically as they research on the topics on the internet. I want them experience collaborative projects, which is how they will probably groups in the future. The desire that the students have to learn something that involves technology is wonderful to watch. It drives me to teach them more than they think they can learn. I always have a goal, whether in the classroom or the gym, to have my students or players grow as learners and as individuals. Technology will allow them to reach even higher.

I know that this only a step toward becoming a better teacher. The knowledge that I have acquired will only help increase my students achievement. In order to continue my personal improvements, I must stay on top of new breakthroughs in technology, especially as it concerns education. The chance that someone will create a tool that was not originally intended for the educational setting, but that can be molded for the use, by teachers is very exciting.

As I look toward the future I have set two goals for transforming my classroom environment.
First I want to integrate the use of blogs as a tool which students can share their writing and learn from others. I remember my coach telling me once that players tend to listen to their teammates more than there coach because they are their peers. Students often see the teacher as someone who is there to criticize their writing. By allowing them to use blogs they can get feedback from children just like them. They will take the suggestions more openly than when it comes from the teacher. There will be the obstacle that many of my students do not have computers or internet access at home. I plan to overcome this by make blogs part of the daily rituals within the classroom learning environment. This way all the students will have the experience of learning from one another. This collaborative learning, is an essential skill for them to have as they join the global economy in the future.
My second goal is to become a leader within my school, in the integration of technology. Even though our school is rather well equipped as far as computers are concerned, there still are man teachers that are afraid to integrate them into their own classrooms. I hope to show other teachers by example. If they see what my second grade students are capable of, by using technology as a tool for learning, my hope is that they will take the chance and jump on board themselves. I can be their guide also in that process.

This class has been a fantastic learning experience, from the instructor to the activities and most importantly my fellow teachers/students. They have given me feedback and ideas that will become part of my teaching toolbox.

Onto my future classroom!

First Podcast

Now I have ventured into the world of podcasting. I share my analysis of my students' exposure and access to technology. The more that I learn the more that I want to share this knowledge with my students.

Here is the link

http://www.gcast.com/u/xkalibur13steeler/main

you can also click on the title of the post or you can listen right here on my blog.

Hasta luego!

21st Century Skills?

Before visiting the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website for my class this week, I had some questions as to why they exist. Is the partnership necessary? Who is supporting it and why? I had never heard of it until this class. Should I have heard of it? What was I missing?

After reading their mission statement, I had a feeling that they might be onto something positive that might lead education in the right direction. As Thomas Friedman, wrote in his New York Times article, "The World is Flat After All," globalization 3.0 is shrinking the world from size small to size tiny and flattening the playing field at the same time. Our students need to be prepared to compete with a global talent pool in order to get a job or get accepted into a great university. At the heart of this issue lie these 21st century skills.

At first. the companies that are on board, supporting this movement, and the number of states that have initiatives to reach its goals, surprised me. Only 10 states, 20% of the states feel that there is a pressing need to prepare our students for the future global and technologically driven workplace. I was very glad to see that New Jersey was one of the states with an initiative. Taking into consideration that 21st century skills will help produce technologically literate students/citizens that can contribute and lead these very same companies into the future, it made sense in the world.

The only concern that I have is with the partnership is its support of NCLB as is. I really do not agree with the current form of NCLB. I guess that NCLB is not going away anytime soon, so supporting it is the only thing that they can do.

The implications of these 21st century skills in my classroom are numerous. My students need to be prepared, if they are going to be productive contributing citizens in this global society. All types of media bombard them at every turn. They need to be able to evaluate critically all this information. I must stay on top of all these new technologies if I am going to be able to help them. If they are not prepared to do their best because I have not prepared myself, then I have failed them. Our students and this country need, our educational system to change, to meet the demands of the global workplace.

Wikis

Well, this week in ITC class, our groups had to create a wiki for online educational resources. It has giving us a chance to work with this new technology. Now that I had had the chance to collaborate with my peers on this wiki. I know have a better understanding of how to handle wikis with my students. I look forward to having my students create a wiki, possibly on endangered animals. I believe it will be a great learning experience.

Blogs in the Classroom

How might I use a blog within my classroom? I teach 2nd grade and I have asked myself this question recently. I have previously discussed with a fellow 2nd grade teacher about possibly sharing writing pieces with each others class. The students from each class could read the other students' writing and then provide feedback, what they liked or disliked or any questions that the reader would like answered.

The idea of using a blog for this purpose, opens up more possibilities. The students can showcase their work and feel proud about what they have accomplished. They will see themselves as published authors. They can see that their is a point to their writing beyond having the teacher grade it. This will motivate them to become better writers. This is key to their development as writers. They will also have the opportunity to have an audience to write for. After reading the feedback, they can then go back and reflect upon their writing and develop it further. They can get new ideas from their audience to make changes to their pieces or create new ones.

The opportunities for learning do not stop there. The students will have a chance to read and learn from the other students' writing also. This will improve their own reading skills and they will learn to read critically. They can see what their peers are writing about, the different styles or the similarities that they may share with others. They can see that they are not the only ones that feel the way they do.

The students could work independently or with partners. By writing with partners they will learn through collaborative experiences. I would start this blog initially within the school, due to safety concerns, with the hope of connecting with 2nd graders in other schools.

Please let me know what you think of this idea. How could I make it better? What other things could I do to make it more challenging for my students? Also please share any of your own ideas for using blogs in your classrooms.

RSS Feeds

Already in week 1 of my master's course, The Impact of Technology in Education, Work and, Society and I have begun to use a great tool (RSS), through Google reader. It saves so much time, to be able to receive updates of all the blogs or news that I am following, instead of having to visit each one individually. I look forward to learning as we go along.

Welcome

Hello to all.
I'm ready to take another step forward in the use of technology within my own teaching and learning. I look forward to a fun ride. I hope that you will join me.