End of Semester Reflection

What I learned:

This semester's technology class gave me so much insight into the classrooms of today, and the ways in which teachers should teach. I used to think that technology was just for classrooms of the future. I never thought that we would actually be using the SMART Boards and DocuCams for our teaching. It just seemed somewhat ridiculous and out of reach. This technology class taught me mostly to open my eyes to the many opportunities that technology has to offer for student learning. My attitude adjusted from seeing technology as a hinderance in the classroom to technology being used as a tool to better learning. This class mainly got me familiar with how to research resources of technology, especially the ones that can be free. Technology in the classroom is much like a doctor in the hospital. The doctor cannot memorize every single disease known to man, but what the doctor can do is know how to research symptoms to find the resources that he is looking for. This is how I feel about technology now. I do not need to know every technology website for the classroom that is on the web, nor can I know everything that is out there on the web. What I can do is utilize my resources to find what I am looking for to enhance my teaching in the classroom. What a great and healthy way to engage students in classroom learning and to expand their thinking!

 

NETS (National Educational Technology Standards)

Below is one of the NETS for teachers that I chose to focus on this semester and how I accomplished that.

• Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S teachers.
• Response: This semester I designed and developed assessments on the SMART Board to provide both formative and summative assessments for myself and my students. I found that I love the SMART Response quizzes and tests because they give immediate results of the scores. It provides a list of the scores of each student, as well as a whole class average. The features of SMART Response seem endless, and it was a great way to incorporate a contemporary tool to maximize content learning through technology. Students then do not have to sit with a pencil and paper every single time a test comes along. Through the use of technology in assessments, I can develop and strengthen the attitudes of my students, thus strengthening the goals of the NETS. I also found several other ways to assess student work in creative and exciting ways. There are many different ways for students to upload assignments onto a class blog or class website for the teacher to assess. I played around with this idea in my semester project and had students upload a video, as well as the story book that they created online to my class blog. What a fun way to have students turn in assignments, and what a great way for me as a teacher to assess homework using several different strategies to incorporate all different learning styles!

Reflection 12

WHAT?

Remember way back when….say about 6^th grade….when we all had to do a weekly current event? You would find a newspaper each Sunday and answer the questions Who? What? When? Where? How? And Why? Within the article that you chose. Well now, students are still doing current events, but they have added a higher standard to it. Current event assignments have advanced into technology.

SO WHAT?

Here is a description of a lesson plan that can be given from grades 6-12: Students listen to a news podcast and use a graphic organizer to record what they learn. The assignment is simple, yet a lot more high tech than before. Students now have the opportunity to stretch their limits beyond what I ever thought could happen.

NOW WHAT?

This gives students a chance to develop their listening skills. Often times students have a difficult time when they reach high school and college years because they do not have the training to listen to a lecture and know what to take down as notes. Listening to podcasts and recording information is a great way to prepare students for education in the future. What a great idea!

To check out the link where I found this teaching lesson, click here.

To find even more lesson plans that integrate technology, click here.

Reflection 11

WHAT?

Technology should be integrated into the classroom, rather than be used as a separate portion of teaching. The whole point of technology is to get students engaged in the content of what you are teaching, rather than having the technology be content itself.

SO WHAT?

So to find more tools in which to integrate technology, I took a look at some lesson plans that teachers made that include technology. Who said we had to learn on our own right? Internet research can be so helpful to the new teacher! While I was researching, I found a technology lesson called Creating a Multimedia Journey. Students take a journey through sound, exploring the sounds of the places they visit. They then research some of the places they visit and write a fictional account of their journey. All of this is done through a website called Sound Transmit. Check it out!

NOW WHAT?

This way, students are learning about geographical places, while integrating technology that makes the content exciting. Students will find themselves wanting to learn more when they see that learning can be so fun. Get creative with your ideas in teaching and be sure to integrate technology.

Reflection 10

WHAT?

I went to the website called Education World and looked up the Tech Lesson of the Week. The assignment is for students to research a historical figure and create a chat bot representing that figure. A chat bot is a simple web-based program that allows users to type in questions and get replies. So students are to test and check their knowledge of Abraham Lincoln by chatting with an AI (artificial intelligence) “chat bot." They then research another historical figure and use the information they discover to create their own chat bots.

SO WHAT?

What an interesting way for students to get an upclose and “personal” experience with the historical figure. I know for me as a student, history was always difficult for me. Everything seemed so far in the past, that it was hard for me to grasp any idea of history. This chat bot gives students an idea of what it would have been like to talk with Ab Lincoln and other historical figures.

NOW WHAT?

However, not only does it give the students a tangible way to understand the historical figures that seem so far off, it also requires the students to fully grasp the character of their own researched historical figure. The student must know enough about the figure’s character to create a chat bot from scratch. This seemed like a great tool to use during a history unit to get children excited about the past, while still looking toward the future.

Reflection 9

WHAT?

My roommate is graduating this year; she has been searching tirelessly for jobs and has had countless numbers of interviews. It seems that times are changing and technology is advancing in terms of job searching.

SO WHAT?

I noticed that every application she filled out has been online. Even her resume had to be either attached or typed in a provided box. It used to be that you went to the actual company to hand in your application and resume. Then, the system became a bit more advanced with the use of email. Some applicants would then attach their resume and application to an email for speedy processing.

NOW WHAT?

Now, application processes are highly advanced. You must be able to have access to a computer (which doesn’t seem too hard these days anymore…just hit up the local library). I love that you do not even have to go to the company to grab a resume. It is right there online at the company’s website for your convenience. I am interested to see what school districts expect for the application process.

Reflection 8

WHAT?

In Professor Mohan’s class, we took a look at the new document camera that is directly connected to the SMART Board. This is different from the document cameras that most classrooms have at Northwest University because the SMART Board document camera and the SMART Board are able to work together, rather than separately, which creates a speedier route for technology.

SO WHAT?

What a tool! I loved this SMART Board document camera. You could freeze images and make them directly into a page in SMART Board Notebook. Professor Mohan was able to screen shot all of the attendance sheets as SMART Board Notebook files. Now, all she had to do each class period was to pull up the attendance and have students sign in. You may be saying, well the first document camera’s we had can do a freeze frame. This is true (although we could never figure out how to actually get the image to freeze), but the feature that it lacks is saving the freeze frame to a file.

NOW WHAT?

The opportunities seem almost endless with this new SMART Board document camera. My point here today is to learn new technology as it is introduced to the classroom. Do not just sit back and say, “Well, I already have a document camera, so I don’t need to use this one.” Instead, take advantage of the new technologies that are offered to you. The SMART Board document camera was a perfect example of the reasons as to why we, as teachers, should utilize new systems of technology. We can’t get behind the times!

Reflection 7

WHAT?

I realized during one of the days in chapel, that almost every chapel speaker uses a PowerPoint. Some PowerPoint presentations have been very helpful to the understanding of the message. Many have helped me to engage in the sermon. However, some speakers rely too much on their PowerPoint presentations. Instead of teaching to the students of Northwest University, they teach to their podium and to their PowerPoint slides.

SO WHAT?

Because of this, students become disengaged to the message that the speaker has to bring. I see this happening in classrooms throughout the world. A lot of times, teachers do a great job of utilizing the technology offered in their classrooms. However, some teachers get so caught up in the technology that they forget to teach to the students.

NOW WHAT?

Remember that technology is a tool for teaching. Technology should not do the teaching. Imagine if the chapel speakers actually spoke instead of relied upon their PowerPoints. If their PowerPoints were used as a tool, rather than a crutch or dependence, how much more would the students be interested in what they have to say?

Reflection 6

WHAT?                                                                                                                        
There are many online resources that I have found, through the Technology in Education Class Blog that are very useful in finding lesson plans on the SMART Board. This website in particular, the Wichita Public Schools website, offers many lessons for teachers in SMART Notebook form in all subjects and all grades that are compatible for the SMART Board.
SO WHAT?                                                                                                                   
I have found that it is sometimes best to use pre-made lesson plans for the SMART Board, rather than taking time to a create mediocre lesson using the SMART Notebook software. Teaching is all about taking advantage of the resources that will advance the students. The lessons that most students used in their SMART Board presentations were taken from pre-made lessons from online websites, such as the Wichita Public School site.
NOW WHAT?                                                                                                               
I am realizing that it is important to be mindful of the resources out there on the web. They can spark ideas for teaching and simply the teaching process, especially during the first years of teaching. I am so thankful for those who have taken the time to create lesson plans that will be beneficial to the students.

Reflection 5

WHAT?                                                                                                                          
I read an article awhile back that talked about this generation of students being the loneliest generation. This is caused by technology because rather than students having face-to-face interactions with people, all of their communication takes place through technology. Instead of having a friendly conversation in person, students' social network is being stricken to text messaging, emailing, and online chatting.
SO WHAT?                                                                                                                   
Thinking of this in terms of being a teacher, I realized that technology in the classroom can take the same effect. Sometimes technology can get in the way of connecting with students on a relational learning level. Instead of getting to know students by figuring out where their struggles are and why they are having struggles, teachers rely on and hide behind quick multiple choice polls to assess students. Sometimes technology allows for no understanding of the students. It sometimes can allow for no explanation of the students progress or retrogress. Sometimes technology robs students of learning proper social skills that might be needed for instances like in an interview.
NOW WHAT?                                                                                                                 
Teachers must make extra effort to use technology in a way that will grow students. Teachers must not allow technology to cut off relationship with the students, for this is what already happens to the them in everyday life. Instead, we can use technology to enhance social skills. For example, students can use technology to give presentations. This will allow students to use technology, while communicating with their voice, rather than with their fingers (aka typing).

Reflection 4

WHAT?                                                                                                                       
Sometimes teachers get so caught up in the fun experience of the SMART Board that they forget to let students have interaction with it. I observed a third grade classroom where the teacher had a very exciting lesson on the SMART Board. She was so into the lesson; however, as I looked at the students in her classroom, I noticed that they were very disengaged. Even while using this fun technology of the SMART Board, students were still uninterested in learning.
SO WHAT?                                                                                                                 
The SMART Board cannot be used as an easy substitute for getting students engaged in learning. Even with the use of technology, it is still the teacher's responsibility to connect the students with the material in the lesson. The teacher should have involved her students with hands-on learning through the SMART Board rather than using the SMART Board as a presentation.
NOW WHAT?                                                                                                             
We, as teachers, constantly need to be mindful of our students and how they best learn. Sometimes we rely on technology to do the teaching for us. It is still our job to get students up out of their seats to engage in active learning through the SMART Board. The interactive boards are not just for us, as teachers, but it is more so for the students' benefit of learning in this new age.

Reflection 3

WHAT?

I have noticed many professors at Northwest that do not know how to maneuver the SMART Board and other new technologies such as the document camera. The digital divide between the professors and students truly does affect the learning environment. Professors will spend the first portion of class just trying to figure out how to get the technology working. It will take them several tries to get the PowerPoint displayed on the SMART Board projector.
SO WHAT?                                                                                                                    
Because of the lack of fluency that professors have in new technologies, students become disconnected from the content and material of the lesson. Some students even lose the respect of professors, which results in professors losing control of their classroom.
NOW WHAT?                                                                                                                
Obviously, there is no way to keep up on all of the new technology, but a teacher should at least familiarize himself or herself enough with the technology to keep the flow of the classroom. Technology should not distract from learning, rather it should inspire and enhance learning. It is okay for a teacher to ask students' for help every once in awhile; however, it is important for teachers to do their very best to keep up with the technology times of their students. This is why I am so grateful for this class - Technology in Education.

Reflection 2

WHAT?

The SMART Response that is connected to the SMART Board is a way to assess students quickly. They can take a multiple choice test displayed on the SMART Board screen using the Response keypads. This makes for easy assessment because the students' answers are immediately submitted into a poll that can be organized into a graph. This way, teachers can decide on the spot whether or not the students' are understanding the curriculum topic to know if it needs to be retaught. The SMART Response can also be used to take attendance in the classroom by having the students sign in.

SO WHAT?

This can be a very useful tool for teachers in the classroom, specifically for the two reasons that I mentioned above. I learned in class that you have to activate the students' key pads by clicking "Start Assessment" from the pull down tab. It was nice to play around with the SMART Response in class during the day of our presentations because we were able to work out all of the glitches in trying to figure out how to use this feature.

NOW WHAT?

I would love to become fluent with this feature of the SMART Board because it is a great way to assess students quickly and efficiently in the classroom. I was very happy to learn about SMART Response. I had no idea that anything like this even existed. I was shocked when it was first mentioned in class. It's almost like texting in answers to a test! Times have really changed, but if a teacher can learn how to maneuver this technology, then it can be a very helpful tool for classroom management!

Reflection 1

WHAT?

A feature of technology that is being used in classrooms today is the document camera. The document camera is hooked up to the computer and serves as a newer version of the overhead projector. Yet, instead of having to transfer all paper documents to a clear overhead projector sheet, you are simply able to use the original paper document. The document will be projected on the screen, and the camera allows for different levels of zoom and focus. Another feature of the document camera is the "freeze" button. This allows you to freeze frame the document that you have placed on the camera, so that when you remove the piece of paper or book from the camera, the image will still be visible on the screen.
SO WHAT?                                                                                                                    
I have seen my professors use it many times, and it is very convenient for teaching, especially for the primary grades! I used the document camera in Instructional Design to show a page of a children's book. This is a fantastic way to read books to children because the book can be enlarged on a screen for them to view. I also saw this document camera used in my Math Methods class by Professor Daley. It was very useful for modeling a math problem because it showed the step-by-step process on a large screen with readable pen. This document camera can be a very helpful tool in the classroom. Not only is it convenient for the teacher (way more convenient than using an overhead projector), but it is also exciting for the students to see the read-aloud book projected up on a large screen in front of them. Technology fascinates students, so we as teachers must get in touch with the newest and best forms of technology.
NOW WHAT?                                                                                                               
Try out the document camera. It takes some time of playing around with it to figure out how it works, but I can guarantee that once you try out the document camera, you will love the convenience of it. The document camera is used in many school classrooms now, so to get your hands on one for practice, scope out your nearest classroom to familiarize yourself with it.