Final Reflection - EDUC 6710

Throughout the course Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society, I have learned so much about integrating technology into my class. Having had very little experience with blogs, wikis, and podcasts, it had never occurred to me to utilize these tools myself let alone use them in my classroom as a teaching tool! I am looking forward to bringing what I have learned to my classroom and to my colleagues.

In this class I have learned how to use blogs, wikis, and podcasts as educational tools. Blogs can be great tools to share information and ideas with my students and provides them a forum for discussion of topics without the fear of speaking in front of the entire class. Wikis are a great tool for students to collaborate for group work and group projects. Podcasts are a great tool for presenting information to students and providing extra help. I could use podcasts to create "extra help" videos for students to use at home for homework help. Students can use podcasts to create presentations for the class (for students who are nervous about doing "live" presentations. All of these tools have great potential for aiding student learning and understanding of subject area content - and as teachers, we have a responsibility to educate our students on the responsible use of technology.

A couple of long-term goals I have for transforming my classroom include using blogs within my class. I would like to set up blogs for each of my classes. I will need to research whether or not blog use is allowed within my district. If it is not, I would like to work toward demonstrating to our administration how useful blogs can be. If blogs are allowed, I will have to make sure to let parents know what we are doing and ensure that students' use of the blog is appropriate. My second goal is to become more comfortable with making podcasts and using them for my students. In mathematics, many students take notes, but by the time they get home and start working on homework, they forget the steps we took to solve problems. By creating and posting podcasts of how we solved problems in class, I can help my students at home, as if I were there with them. Students would be able to access the podcasts at home and use them whenever they need - while I am only accessible to them during class or immediately after school.

After re-examining my checklist from week 1, most of my responses remain the same. However, I feel that my students have much to teach me when it comes to different technologies. My students love their cell phones, and while I understand the need for control (unauthorized videos posted to YouTube), I feel that we are missing out on a valuable tool for student learning. I have not figured out yet how to tap into this resource (many of my students would like to use the calendars in their phones to jot down assignments, yet they are not supposed to have their phones on or out in class at all…)

This class has opened my eyes to some of the technologies available for classroom use. I am hoping to be able to incorporate their use into my classes and to learn more from my students about the technology they use and like to use. With a little time and creativity, I can hopefully find ways to bring them into my classroom and capture my students' interest.

Podcast - Profiling the Students of Today

Here is the link to my very first podcast!  It is not very exciting, but it summarizes a technology survey given to my freshman Algebra 1 class...enjoy!