End of the Year Reflection (required)

What Have I learned:

Well, the real question is: "What have I not learned?" I have learned so much this semester that I am shocked to say I have used quite a bit. Just the other day, my best friend was mentioning how she would like to make a photography website for her sister and I could say " hey! I know how to do that!" I never in a million years would have thought that I could be of any help in the realm of technology. These new found skills cause me to want to understand technology more and to be willing to play around with things that are new to me or that I still do not understand. I also think that in the area of the SMARTboard, I have really seen a tangible improvement. I am not able to form my own presentation from scratch and can use my own ideas in technology which is one thing that I really wanted to be able to do. It is one thing to follow a template and to copy the work of others, it is another to be creative with your own ideas. I think I still have a ways to go, however, I have also come a long ways from where I was.

NETS for teachers:

At the beginning of the year, I said that I wanted to work on: facilitating and inspiring student creativity. I choose this because I know and understand that students are going to have to learn to think out of the box in order to be successful in the world of the future. I also realize that in order to inspire my students to be creative, I need to learn how to be creative with technology myself. I can see that over this semester I have become much more creative with SMARTboard, delicious, web surfing, podcast, video and blog. I also am pleased to say that I have been able to go back and improve things such as old blogs and also to check out more and more new aspects of technology.

I wanted to:

1. Increase my knowledge of the SMARTboard: I did this by creating consistent lessons on this program for all of my lesson plans this semester ( for all education classes)

2. Use the ideas as a starting ground for my own.: I did this my observing students in class and taking note of things that I want to add to my future lessons. Also, I have improved and experimented with my own lessons such as the use of video, bookmarking tools, drop box etc.

3. Use multiple venues: I did this by branching out from what I am comfortable with through the use of Vocaroo, SMARTboard, DocuCam, drop box, delicious and imovie.

Therefore, I think that I really have learned a lot from this class even if I had to fish my way through some of the frustrations of technology. I am glad that this has jump started my interest in educational technology and I hope to continue to learn more in the future.

Reflection #12: Eyes on the Prize- Teacher of the Year

What:

Teacher of the Year

This year's teacher of the year award went to Sarah Brown Wessling from Iowa who successfully incorporated technology in her classroom. She was recognized for her ability to teach a wide range of students and also because of her ability to connect everyday life with learning. An english teacher by trade, Wessling allows students to incorporate writing in the form of pamphlets, grant proposals and story boards so that learning is catered to the interests of individual students and also prepares them for the future. Wessling focuses on learner based teaching and mentioned that one way she does this is by having her desk at the back of the classroom so that as the teacher she is the "lead learner."

So What: This award and the teacher that received this honor can speak volumes about what is expected and respected in teachers today. The application of technology is not only a skill to be celebrated but in reality required of prestigious teachers today. This is especially shown in the addresses from the president. More and more learning is more about individual students and application to real life then the traditional way of teaching.

Now What: Well, I want to be on board with what is required and expected of me as a teacher in today's world. This may mean that I need to put more time into individual based projects and even continue to expand my knowledge of technology. But, as a future teacher, my goal is to effectively reach as many students as possible, from as many backgrounds and learning styles as I can. I really do think that technology is a valuable tool to bring about better learners when partnered with dedication and the desire to go above and beyond the basic call do duty.

Reflection #11: The School of Dreams

What:

Contest for the Architecture of New Schools

As I was browsing the internet, looking for some interesting insight on technology in future schools, I accidently came across an international contest for architects. These architects have come up with what they view as the "ideal" school, based on different international environments in the U.S., India, Uganda, and South America. The pictures have paragraphs about why they picked certain themes and designs and how this will affect the learning environment of children.

For example, in India, the buildings are thin but multi-storied with a focus on brief interactive learning. In Teton Valley, the school involved wide open spaces and farm animals ( so that students can interact with nature).

So What: This is a very interesting idea. My search actually began as I looked up what a technological savvy classroom would look like and was shocked at the statement that: Schools have not changed at all for almost 100 years. This is something that specialists are realizing and I really do think that the development of new schools is going to have a big push in the future. Studies show that students learn best in a well structured learning environment and the format of a classroom really does play a large role in this.

Now What: I think that this is exciting for teachers in that we don't have to design these complicated schools, we merely get to enjoy them. However, it may be safe to say that we are stepping in the unknown. As future teachers we must realized that education is and will change quite a deal as we step into it and that we may not be able to use the experiences that we had as students but must instead look to the future. The students that we teach and the way in which we teach them is heading somewhere that no one really can predict. This, I believe, is both exciting and terrifying.

Reflection #10: High School at Your Convenience

What: The other day I was watching T.V. and, I was surprised to see a commercial for a complete online school. What really intrigued me was the way that they advertised it: School at your convenience. They had flashing pictures of students studying in coffee shops and having jobs as well as getting together with friends to do school on "their own time." It is now possible to get a high school diploma completely online and on your own terms for free.

So What: Well, I just began to think as the commercial came to a close: how is the world are high school students going to be motivated to complete their entire education online? For me personally, online classes seen to be the worst possible option. I already despise spending long periods of time on the computer and really what makes school important to me is interaction with my peers and my professors. However, I am also aware that in this day and age, many students respond best on the computer. Also, this option could be ideal for students pursuing things such as art, sports and careers that require a lot of time and training as a high school student. For example, if an athlete wanted to train for the olympics or a dancer wanted to join a company now it is possible to do school work at their convenience.

Now What: This is interesting because this may influence our jobs as teachers in the future. If more and more students choose to do online schools, we may find ourselves teaching to a virtual community rather then a real one. I really do hope, however, that this does not become the majority. I think that there are some things about interacting with peers and doing hands on activities in a classroom that cannot be recreated on a computer ( especially with younger children). I am interested to see how popular online school becomes and also if online classes begin to be geared at younger and younger grades.