Course Reflection

“To teach these technologies effectively, educators must learn to use them effectively” (Richardson, 2009, p. 136). This course has given me an introduction to technology tools that can be used within a classroom. I explored them myself by using them and then reflected on how they can be used within a classroom. Through the Read/Write Web, I am developing an understanding of how powerful it is to increase my knowledge and effectiveness as a teacher. Will Richardson (2009) stated that, “[w]e’re in the midst of an explosion of technologies that will continue to remake the Web into the community, participatory space Berners-Lee originally envisioned, changing much of our lives in significant ways” (p. 2).

Realizing that I have a vast amount of resources and support through the Read/Write Web increases my learning curve and helps me to become more aware of how digital native students think. Digital natives are this generation’s students and we as educators need to understand their way of thinking and what makes them interested to learn. I have deepened my knowledge as to why my students act the way they do. “Today’s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students. This doesn’t mean changing the meaning of what is important, or of good thinking skills. But it does mean going faster, less step-by step, more in parallel, with more random access, among other things” (Prensky, 2001, p. 4).

As an educator that is preparing students to go into the workplace, I need to focus on helping my students to “learn actively, independently, in a self-directed way and/or in collaboration with others” (Kirschner & Erkens, 2006, p. 200). This creates a learner-centered classroom that will produce students that are prepared to be successful citizens.

I plan to continue my learning by collaboration with teachers through the Read/Write Web and to expand my knowledge by continuing to explore technology. I am going to use this technology as a supplement to the curriculum that is already being taught. This technology can be used to increase understanding, collaboration, and interest within a classroom.

I have set two long-term goals to focus my classroom on becoming better. The first goal is to increase my student’s understanding of the importance of using blogs to communicate with the world and gain more knowledge. To accomplish this goal I am going to have an activity once every two weeks where my students will post a blog that creates classroom discussion. I will use the blog for the students to ask me and their classmates questions on their homework. I have a blogging capability on my classroom website, which makes this very feasible. My second goal is to increase all of my students’ understanding on how to make a podcast. I will start with each class having one project that requires them to produce a podcast within a group. To make this happen, I will have to research the school’s availability of computers that have microphones and download Audacity software on the computers that will be used. If accomplished, these two goals will start transforming my classroom into a student-centered environment.


References

Kirschner, P., & Erkens, G. (2006). Cognitive tools and mindtools for collaborative learning. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 35(2), 199–209.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.