Technology Course Learning Experience 4 Reflection
This last part of our learning experience was all about how do we implement technology into the classroom. It is one of the main reasons why I took this course. From everything we did in this section of the course, the one thing that stood out the most for me wasn't actually the integration portion but it was actually the planning portion. Whether it is creating a short and long term technology plan for your school, or whether it is teaching your staff a specific program that will be beneficial if they implement into their teaching plans, the thing I noticed the most was how much planning is needed in order to begin your school in the right direction in terms of integrating technology. A well thought out, developed plan that is put into place will really help you achieve you goal and vision instead of just winging it year to year.
Another big topic that I think will really shape my teaching is the idea of using mobile devices in the classroom. So many students nowadays have access to their own mobile device. Instead of being scared of it, I think we should embrace it. Undoubtedly, we will have some issues, but I think if we constantly are reminding students of the rules and consequences to not following rules, then students will be more inclined to use it properly. As many schools including mine, we are just starting to build our technology hardware inventory. There is definitely not enough for a 1:1 device to student ratio. However with the addition of personal devices into the mix, there is definitely more ability for teachers to use technology on the go.
This course has really been a great experience. Yes, I have learned about integrating technology into the classroom but really it is so much more than that. I was able to takeaway how everyone is unique in their own way of thinking about challenges and ideas. It showed me that these challenges can be tackled in more than just my own way. I'm looking forward to utilizing many of the ideas I've taken away from course material, peer interaction, and feedback provided.
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Saturday, 4 June 2016
Technology Course Learning Experience 3 Reflection
This was an extremely interesting learning experience for my in the technology course because it focused on one of the main reasons why I took this course and this was how I could utilize my knowledge of technology and support my staff in their development of their personal use of technology and also how they can incorporate it into their own classroom.
An indirect lesson I learned was that although I have my own vision of what I would hope technology looks like in my school, and although I have the opportunity to implement it in my role - it is extremely apparent that I first need to look at the needs of my staff and receive their input. Without their support and an interest on their part, our school could provide all the technology we wanted but it would never get used (or at least to its full potential). An interesting way to get staff involved in the process and also getting them using a bit of technology is to use Google Forms to create your survey. The actual setting up of the survey was quite easy, in fact you can copy and paste items in an Excel spreadsheet write into the form if you had multiple answers you wanted inputted.
Another thing I took away from this section of my course was that it is important to be transparent about your goals and visions for the technology in the school (assuming you have are in a position to impact your school in this way). I think that much like receiving input from staff, other teachers will be more receptive when they know what to expect and why you are progressing on this path. At the end of the day, it's not so much about teaching the teacher's about technology as it is how much their knowledge of technology will impact their students. We need to remember that the students should be the priority and that our ultimate goal is to help them to be successful members of society (or at least this is my ultimate goal).
There have been some great resources that I was able to take away from some of my classmates. One that was focused heavily on was the Google Drive. It is Google's suite of products that is making a run at competing against Microsoft Office. It has matching programs in functionality such as Google Docs, Spreadsheet, and Slides. A major difference however is that Google Drive is built on the Internet. What this means is that as long as you are connected to the Internet, you can access Google Drive. If you can access Google Drive, then you can access your Google Doc. This means not more having to save your file on a USB key and bringing that around. Another extremely function and what sets it apart from Microsoft Office is that you have the ability to collaborate with others, simultaneously. You are able to share a Google Doc with a colleague and the both of you can be on the Doc at the same time. In fact, your whole company can be on it at the same time brainstorming ideas for the next latest and greatest invention! This translates to a world of opportunities in the classroom!
The thing with technology is that it is here to stay. Yes, the programs might change and continue to evolve but it is our job as teachers to help students utilize the technology available to them. Helping them understand that change is imminent and to keep an open mind and roll with the punches!
This was an extremely interesting learning experience for my in the technology course because it focused on one of the main reasons why I took this course and this was how I could utilize my knowledge of technology and support my staff in their development of their personal use of technology and also how they can incorporate it into their own classroom.
An indirect lesson I learned was that although I have my own vision of what I would hope technology looks like in my school, and although I have the opportunity to implement it in my role - it is extremely apparent that I first need to look at the needs of my staff and receive their input. Without their support and an interest on their part, our school could provide all the technology we wanted but it would never get used (or at least to its full potential). An interesting way to get staff involved in the process and also getting them using a bit of technology is to use Google Forms to create your survey. The actual setting up of the survey was quite easy, in fact you can copy and paste items in an Excel spreadsheet write into the form if you had multiple answers you wanted inputted.
Another thing I took away from this section of my course was that it is important to be transparent about your goals and visions for the technology in the school (assuming you have are in a position to impact your school in this way). I think that much like receiving input from staff, other teachers will be more receptive when they know what to expect and why you are progressing on this path. At the end of the day, it's not so much about teaching the teacher's about technology as it is how much their knowledge of technology will impact their students. We need to remember that the students should be the priority and that our ultimate goal is to help them to be successful members of society (or at least this is my ultimate goal).
There have been some great resources that I was able to take away from some of my classmates. One that was focused heavily on was the Google Drive. It is Google's suite of products that is making a run at competing against Microsoft Office. It has matching programs in functionality such as Google Docs, Spreadsheet, and Slides. A major difference however is that Google Drive is built on the Internet. What this means is that as long as you are connected to the Internet, you can access Google Drive. If you can access Google Drive, then you can access your Google Doc. This means not more having to save your file on a USB key and bringing that around. Another extremely function and what sets it apart from Microsoft Office is that you have the ability to collaborate with others, simultaneously. You are able to share a Google Doc with a colleague and the both of you can be on the Doc at the same time. In fact, your whole company can be on it at the same time brainstorming ideas for the next latest and greatest invention! This translates to a world of opportunities in the classroom!
The thing with technology is that it is here to stay. Yes, the programs might change and continue to evolve but it is our job as teachers to help students utilize the technology available to them. Helping them understand that change is imminent and to keep an open mind and roll with the punches!
Monday, 16 May 2016
Technology Course Learning Experience 2 Reflection
In Science class today, I pulled my eight Gr. 8's aside. I had just finished marking a unit review and was quite unhappy with the results of my students. I wondered to myself, had I failed them as a teacher? Was there something wrong I was doing or maybe not spending enough time with them as they were part of a split class with 20 Gr. 7's? As I pulled them aside and told them about the general results of the unit review, I asked them, "what can I do to help you?"
I was met with silence and gave them some time to think. One student stepped up and finally said, "I think we need more worksheets." Another said, "we have a lesson and you ask us questions challenging questions that we don't know since we haven't even read the textbook yet." Yet another one said, "We don't have enough lessons." I am usually one that takes criticism in stride but these were hard ones to swallow from my students. I wanted to argue back with them, telling them that there was a reason why we don't just use worksheets all the time, or why I try to ask them questions they might not know at the moment to challenge them.
When I look back at our conversation, I took away two things. One thing that I took away from this specific unit of our course and was reminded of is how different students learn differently and how the use of assistive technology can help enhance this learning. I think that I as I know these Gr.8's are quite independent, I was providing independent reading for them and the having a group discussion about what we had read. We went through some experiments as well as some reviews to support their learning. As much as I thought that this was a good plan, something is definitely not working for some students and I know that I need to make changes and provide different learning opportunities for these students.
The second thing I took away was that my special needs student was the most vocal about the things that could be changed. In fact, he was the one that asked for more worksheets. Although initially I thought to myself that not having worksheets was a good thing, maybe for him it could be used as further reinforcement to lessons. There are so many great assistive technology programs that my student could use to help him through the worksheets.
One of the great programs that I picked up from a colleague of mine in my course was a program called "Mindmup". This is an online mind mapping tool but what makes this program great is that it is connected to Google Drive. With a program like this, the mind map can be shared with other students and students can all collaborate to add, delete, and edit their mind map. What a great way to share and learn from each other as another option to a group discussion or even a unit review.
As I continue on in this course, I'm excited to expand my box of tools so I can utilize different strategies and teaching methods with my students.
In Science class today, I pulled my eight Gr. 8's aside. I had just finished marking a unit review and was quite unhappy with the results of my students. I wondered to myself, had I failed them as a teacher? Was there something wrong I was doing or maybe not spending enough time with them as they were part of a split class with 20 Gr. 7's? As I pulled them aside and told them about the general results of the unit review, I asked them, "what can I do to help you?"
I was met with silence and gave them some time to think. One student stepped up and finally said, "I think we need more worksheets." Another said, "we have a lesson and you ask us questions challenging questions that we don't know since we haven't even read the textbook yet." Yet another one said, "We don't have enough lessons." I am usually one that takes criticism in stride but these were hard ones to swallow from my students. I wanted to argue back with them, telling them that there was a reason why we don't just use worksheets all the time, or why I try to ask them questions they might not know at the moment to challenge them.
When I look back at our conversation, I took away two things. One thing that I took away from this specific unit of our course and was reminded of is how different students learn differently and how the use of assistive technology can help enhance this learning. I think that I as I know these Gr.8's are quite independent, I was providing independent reading for them and the having a group discussion about what we had read. We went through some experiments as well as some reviews to support their learning. As much as I thought that this was a good plan, something is definitely not working for some students and I know that I need to make changes and provide different learning opportunities for these students.
The second thing I took away was that my special needs student was the most vocal about the things that could be changed. In fact, he was the one that asked for more worksheets. Although initially I thought to myself that not having worksheets was a good thing, maybe for him it could be used as further reinforcement to lessons. There are so many great assistive technology programs that my student could use to help him through the worksheets.
One of the great programs that I picked up from a colleague of mine in my course was a program called "Mindmup". This is an online mind mapping tool but what makes this program great is that it is connected to Google Drive. With a program like this, the mind map can be shared with other students and students can all collaborate to add, delete, and edit their mind map. What a great way to share and learn from each other as another option to a group discussion or even a unit review.
As I continue on in this course, I'm excited to expand my box of tools so I can utilize different strategies and teaching methods with my students.
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Technology Course Learning Experience 1 Reflection
One of the most glaring ideas that has punched me in the face was
the idea about being a reflective teacher. Yes, I know we hear this all the
time, or at least I have in my short time as a teacher. However, I have never
taken the next step in my reflective practice to journal or catalogue my
reflections. Setting up this blog is just the first step in my journey to truly
becoming a reflective teacher.
I recently had a conversation with a fellow teacher who is in the
latter stages of his career as being a teacher and thus filled with words of
infinite wisdom. I told him about this technology course that I am taking and
how we needed to create a blog as part of our reflective practice. I asked him
if he thought that we could truly utilize our reflective ideas if all we did
was think about it and not record our ideas. His response was “yes, eventually”.
This was coming from a teacher who I have grown to respect over a very short
period of time mainly because he wasn’t wrong too often. As I left the
conversation, I pondered about his response. Was he saying that if we
eventually make the same mistakes or do the same things over and over again we
will learn from it and put in in our toolkit?
What he is saying is correct – yes, eventually if we make the same
mistakes over and over again or if we deal with a particular student a certain
way and it is successful over and over again then we will remember it. However,
I think that if we find a way that we can record our ideas to review and
reflect on, then we won’t have to do it over and over again to remember the
lesson. What I do think we need to do however is maybe just focus on one or two
lessons that are particularly important to us as an individual teacher. There
are so many lessons we could be learning on a daily basis but to really
remember each and every one of lessons and take it to heart I think would be
quite unrealistic. Yes, it may be possible for the select few but for the
majority of us I would argue no.
To finish off the story – I ended up going back to this teacher to
finish up our conversation and really clarify what he was thinking. We ended up
on the same page, people learn differently, but yes, it needs to be documented
in order for it to really stick. He mentioned that he journals his successes
and improvements right into his lessons which will serve as a reminder the next
time he uses that specific lesson.
Throughout the duration of the first few weeks of my technology
course I have been fortunate to have been part of some great discussions with
some excellent feedback from my peers. In addition to my thoughts above about
reflective practice, another big idea that has impacted my learning is the SAMR
(Substitution / Augmentation / Modification / Redefinition) model. This model
represents the developmental use of technology in the classroom. Understanding the
reasoning behind how and why I am using technology in my class will further
help me to utilize it in a manner that is most beneficial to furthering my
students’ understanding.
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Reflection is part of my work...
I have been blessed with learning from a few very special teachers who served as my mentors, as well as administrators who took the time to help me develop my pedagogy. I will never forget something my mentor teacher at the time and now my good friend, Ingrid, said to me - take the time to look back and reflect on what you learned. To put this into context, I had just had my vice principal come in and watch my lesson as a student teacher for the very first time. I was nervous and flew through my lesson. Needless to say, it was a disaster in my books. As I hung my head a bit after my lesson, Ingrid said that as I continue my path as a teacher, one of the greatest tools at my disposal was reflecting on what I had learned. Maybe it was from a botched lesson, or maybe it was how I handled a difficult situation in class. No matter what it was, to become a great teacher, you can reflect and use these as your own teachable moments.
Today, I read a blog created by George Couros. In his post, he argued that blogging is a great way to reflect and that as teachers, reflecting should be part of our work! His last sentence reads: "If we do not take time to look back, how will we ever be able to move forward?" I am the first one to admit that reflecting is hard. Mainly because we don't take the time to do so. Life gets in the way - courses, family, extra-curricular activities. I often take a few minutes to reflect about my day in my mind. I think about specific things that happened, how it could have been handled differently, things I could do to enhance or improve the situation. The honest truth though is that I quickly forget about it. Yes, maybe I do remember the odd reflection here and there but so many times I've caught myself thinking to myself - gee, I should really take the time to write down my reflections so that I can look back and remind myself of things that I have learned and forgotten!
My commitment here on this blog is to not only share about my journey with integrating technology in the classroom but also to share important reflections and discoveries that I have made after a tough day or maybe an excellent day, or perhaps something I learned from a failed lesson! If you haven't gotten the drift, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
I have been blessed with learning from a few very special teachers who served as my mentors, as well as administrators who took the time to help me develop my pedagogy. I will never forget something my mentor teacher at the time and now my good friend, Ingrid, said to me - take the time to look back and reflect on what you learned. To put this into context, I had just had my vice principal come in and watch my lesson as a student teacher for the very first time. I was nervous and flew through my lesson. Needless to say, it was a disaster in my books. As I hung my head a bit after my lesson, Ingrid said that as I continue my path as a teacher, one of the greatest tools at my disposal was reflecting on what I had learned. Maybe it was from a botched lesson, or maybe it was how I handled a difficult situation in class. No matter what it was, to become a great teacher, you can reflect and use these as your own teachable moments.
Today, I read a blog created by George Couros. In his post, he argued that blogging is a great way to reflect and that as teachers, reflecting should be part of our work! His last sentence reads: "If we do not take time to look back, how will we ever be able to move forward?" I am the first one to admit that reflecting is hard. Mainly because we don't take the time to do so. Life gets in the way - courses, family, extra-curricular activities. I often take a few minutes to reflect about my day in my mind. I think about specific things that happened, how it could have been handled differently, things I could do to enhance or improve the situation. The honest truth though is that I quickly forget about it. Yes, maybe I do remember the odd reflection here and there but so many times I've caught myself thinking to myself - gee, I should really take the time to write down my reflections so that I can look back and remind myself of things that I have learned and forgotten!
My commitment here on this blog is to not only share about my journey with integrating technology in the classroom but also to share important reflections and discoveries that I have made after a tough day or maybe an excellent day, or perhaps something I learned from a failed lesson! If you haven't gotten the drift, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
A little bit about myself...
I am a fairly new teacher however this is my second career. My goal as a teacher is always to have my students' best interest in mind. With that being said, since I started my journey as a teacher, many of my choices have come from, "will this help my students in their future?" Is what I am teaching something that they can carry with them when they come out into the workplace?
This has led me to technology. Specifically, how can I utilize technology in the classroom to enhance my students' learning, to prepare them for the "real world". I am setting up this blog in part because it is a requirement in an additional qualification course I am taking in "Integration of Information and Computer Technology in Instruction" but also because I hope that others can be part of my journey into my learning, my thinking, and ultimately the way I impact the lives of my students.
In case you are wondering, I am definitely not a techie! I am fortunate because I do pick up things quickly but I am usually quite resistant to new fads and the latest and greatest technology items. For example, I didn't buy into Apple products for a long time, that is until I got my first iPhone a few years ago. I don't own the new Xbox One or even a Blu-Ray player for that fact. But I do understand the importance of technology in our lives and how it is constantly changing.
I invite you to join me in my journey. Share your thoughts...critique my ideas...learn with me!
I am a fairly new teacher however this is my second career. My goal as a teacher is always to have my students' best interest in mind. With that being said, since I started my journey as a teacher, many of my choices have come from, "will this help my students in their future?" Is what I am teaching something that they can carry with them when they come out into the workplace?
This has led me to technology. Specifically, how can I utilize technology in the classroom to enhance my students' learning, to prepare them for the "real world". I am setting up this blog in part because it is a requirement in an additional qualification course I am taking in "Integration of Information and Computer Technology in Instruction" but also because I hope that others can be part of my journey into my learning, my thinking, and ultimately the way I impact the lives of my students.
In case you are wondering, I am definitely not a techie! I am fortunate because I do pick up things quickly but I am usually quite resistant to new fads and the latest and greatest technology items. For example, I didn't buy into Apple products for a long time, that is until I got my first iPhone a few years ago. I don't own the new Xbox One or even a Blu-Ray player for that fact. But I do understand the importance of technology in our lives and how it is constantly changing.
I invite you to join me in my journey. Share your thoughts...critique my ideas...learn with me!
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