Reflective Blog #8

To wrap up my ETEC blog I would have to say that my "aha" moments would have to be every week.  I have never in my life learned about so many technology resources in such a short period of time.  My biggest "aha" was that there were so many resources available to me.  I also realized what I could have been doing this whole time in my classroom versus what I actually have been doing.  Thinking back to lessons that I have done with my students and ways that I could have improved them not only for my students but for myself as well.  Thinking back to my philosophy that I created at the beginning of the semester it has guided the development of my projects by making sure that I have been a reflective teacher and also a student.  In many of the projects that I have created I have been able to go back and think about what I have done, why I have done it and what I could do to make it better.  This blog for example has been a great way for me to look at the projects that I have developed and really think about them and has let me learn and grow from what I have done in this class.  My philosophy has changed as a teacher overall simply because I never realized how important technology really was.  I have been told many times use this resource, or this resource is so great you should try it, but I never really thought it would make a difference.  After using just a small amount of the tools that I have learned about in my class I have seen what a difference it can make.  It makes it more interesting to teach, and to learn.  My students are collaborating more, they are more engaged in their learning and are showing true ownership of their knowledge just as I hope they would.  Overall I would say this has been a great learning experience for me and I am very interested in continuing my development in the field of technology.

Week 7 Reflection

I created a lesson that involved having the students use Google Earth, a concept map and the class blog.  The objective was to have students compare the schools and surroundings of two different areas(in different countries).  I originally thought of this because before I started teaching I had a chance to visit New Zealand and student teach there.  I was amazed at some of the different activities they did, different procedures, and even the difference in environment.  I have had this same discussion with my current students about the differences between people, cultures, environments and so forth.  So in already have some of the discussions I felt this would be a great way for them to experience these differences without being having to pay an arm and a leg to do it.  The reason I picked doing a concept map was because I am always trying to find new ways for students to "show work".  We are always working on compare and contrasting and I felt that a concept map would be a great way to easily list similarities and differences of things that they have identified.  My expectations for the learning outcome is that the students will be able to experience new settings that they have never seen and probably won't.  I work in a very low income school where students are not able to go see the ocean, or mountains and definitely not go to a different country.  This is a way for them to experience all of those great things, even if it is just in pictures.  Maybe their imagination will take them there, at least that is my hope.  I am viewing my instruction a little different in the respect that I now understand that technology can provide you with many more opportunities, like google earth and sketch.  Also these technological resources that I have learned about have given me a way to have my students produce great work, without always having to use pencil and paper.  There are so many tools like concept maps, blog, google sketch, and podcasts that will let children create works of art.  I am truly excited and can't wait to complete my lesson.