As a look back on the goals I set, I realize they are long-term goals that may not come to fruition any time soon. My goal was to show my students how valuable technology can be in learning as well as in life. Going forward, I want to be more specific with my goals so they will be easier to measure. Through my readings and experience, I have become much more familiar with technology and how I can use it in my classroom to benefit my students. Setting goals has increased my awareness of how technology is used.
At this point, I am not ready to set any new goals. Instead, I want to continue to work towards my current goal. I want to add to my action plan by using social networking in my classroom. I want to use something more than just a blog, such as Twitter or another similar website. I also want to collaborate with another teacher somewhere in the world and start working on more technology projects. All of these ideas came from this week’s resources, which inspired me to reach out to other teachers (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).
My goal has helped teach me the benefits of using manipulatives, games, and drill and practice applications. I have found that some work really well while others are not as effective in getting the curriculum across. I have also developed a better understanding of problem-based lessons and how to implement them. Finally, this week has taught me more about social networking and ways I can implement it in my classroom.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009b). Social Networking and Online Collaboration, Part 2. [Educational video]. Baltimore
Jenna Enevoldsen
Jenna,
ReplyDeleteHave you considered what site you are going to use for social networking? As I browsed through the resources given to us on online collaboration this week, I found ePals to sound promising. I think collaborating with students in another country would be beneficial for my students to learn about diversity first hand.
Allison
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ReplyDeleteSocial networking sites such as Twitter; are greate and have their uses. However, I fear that if we begin to use too many of these technologies in the classroom, that our students will loose how to communicate with other people face to face. People are getting very dependent on cell phones, texting, and blogging, to the extent that even their written skills are bing affected. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteResponse to Allison and Marcella,
ReplyDeleteThe social networking site that I am looking at using is thinkquest.com. This site seems very interactive and protected for my students. I was also very interested in ePals, so I will have to check that one out as well.
The world today is getting more dependent on the written word because of e-mail, texting, and social networking. There are some disadvantages but there are also some advantages. I agree that some students written skills have been affected by texting but I do not think there is anything we can do about changing the amount of texting that goes on. I do see how it helps students get immediate feedback and also communicate with a variety of people. I believe we need to take what is interesting to our students and try to motivate them by using it to increase their learning.
Jenna Enevoldsen
Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI was also inspired to reach out and collaborate with other students through the programs we viewed this week. After viewing all of the positive outcomes such a collaboration could have, it seems like such a necessary thing! I feel as though I am stuck without any connections, though. I would like to collaborate with another school in another country but am curious how to start looking. Have you found any way of beginning such a relationship?
-Dan