During this course I had an opportunity to delve more deeply into the NETS standards for teachers and students. I believe these standards are important for teachers to understand in order to effectively implement technology within their classrooms. Just reviewing the NETS-T got my brain going on all the possibilities that technology can enrich the learning environment. I believe that if teachers incorporate these standards within their classrooms, the learning experience for students will be greatly enhanced and the classroom will become a place for innovation and creativity rather than a place where students are the simply “looking for the right answer” and regurgitating information. I have also had I had an opportunity to explore a variety of Web 2.0 tools (some of which I have used previously and others that I learned from group discussions) with my students to address various NETS-S standards in my classroom. I particularly enjoyed the “Tech it out” e-mails, which highlighted a variety of websites that I have not used before.
This course has also given me the opportunity to explore project and problem based learning. Before this course I had used the terms project and problem based learning interchangeably. Through exploring resources presented in our discussion forum, I learned how to differentiate between the two and understand how I could utilize each type of learning experience to maximize student understanding of critical content. While I have already embedded various project based activities into my curriculum, upon reflecting on my curriculum I have found that I rarely have students participate in problem based experiences. Often problem based learning activities seem overwhelming. I have learned that these activities do not necessarily need to take place over extended periods of time, but can be implemented within a shorter time frame. With this redefined idea of problem based learning, these activities seem less daunting and I look forward to designing more of my lessons to incorporate these types of activities.
Through the creation of my GAME plan, I had the opportunity to explore resources that have previously been utilized only by a small group of teachers. Currently, my district is in the process of upgrading our current technology and have been exploring the use/implementation of a variety of technology tools/resources. While it has been great to participate in these discussions, I have become frustrated with the lack of communication/training on these resources. Rather than wait for the district to provide training, I reached out to my colleagues to learn more about how I could use these tools with my students. From these conversations/discussions I have learned about an online program called Compass that uses students reading scores to design individual instruction based on student need. I have created an account for all of my students and have had them use this program to practice individual reading skills. I have also learned that I can assign students certain activities/assignments and have had students participate in lessons involving figurative language. I think this program could be a great way for students to practice their reading skills, and will help me differentiate the instruction to meet the needs of my diverse population. I look forward to continuing with this program this year, and am excited to see how this program impacts students reading scores when they have access on a continual basis.
The second goal I created for this course was to start planning for an “Open Library” to take place at my school. This is a long range goal that will not be implemented until next year, but this course gave me the opportunity to explore available resources and begin dialoging with my colleagues about my vision. Next September I plan to begin an “Open Library” from 6-8 in the evening. Horizon’s “Open library” will occur twice a month and will be a time where students, parents, and community members can come to learn about technology (set up e-mail accounts, learn how to check students grades online, sign up for school newsletters, etc.), make connections with community resources (Catholic Community Services, Interfaith Medical Clinic, Ferndale Public Library, sign up for free and reduce lunch, etc.), and use our resources in our library to better their understanding of our community and enrich the lives of our students. My principal was very supportive and is excited to see our school become more of a community center.
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