End of Semester Reflection

Wow, what a semester. I have gained so much knowledge about technologies to use in the classroom, how to use those technologies, and the future of technology in eduction. I feel like I am on overload with the information I have taken in this semester. There are just so many resources available to teachers that can be used to enhance learning or to create lesson plans. One thing I learned this semester is that you don't have to use everything that is available to you. As an educator you should find a few sites and resources that you love and can easily use and become proficient at them. If you pick the right resources you will be set to incorporate active digital learning into your classroom no problem. I also learned that you shouldn't be afraid of new technologies. When you learn of a new technology you should check it out, play with it a bit, find out if it is for you or not, and don't feel bad if you choose not to use it. One other big thing I learned this semester is that teaching should always come first. Although, technologies enhance learning, engage students, and have endless possibilities teachers need to make sure they are not allowing the technology to do most of the educating. In the future all learning could be taking place digitally but I hope it doesn't. We just always must remember that technology comes and goes, work and does not work, but teachers have been here for ever and will be here for ever.

I have made great progress in incorporating the NETS for teachers that I focused on this semester. NET 1 states: faciliate and inspire student learning and creativity. I have made progess on this NET in this class but also in my Instructional Design class. In this class I learned resources and how to use those technologies to inspire learning and creativity. A few of the technologies that I learned and used this semester that faciliate student learning and creativity are: using the Smart Board with different activities, creating a website where students can comment on my blog and have discussions, and also making e-books where students can create their own books with their work from class. I also made strides at facilitating student learning and creativity in my Instructional Design class. In that class I actually taught a few lessons and each lesson had to be creative and active. I used the resources that I learned in this class as a starting point and created lesson plans around them. I then made use of said technologies to help students create as a process of their learning. In one of my lessons I found a printout for a word map from one of the teacher resources I learned in this class. Then I used the word map to have students define vocabulary words in their own ways, draw pictures of things that helped them remember the word, and write any other words they associate with the vocabulary word. In another lesson I used another printout from a online resource to have students create a persuasive essay in groups and that they debated at the end of class. Not only was I able to begin facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity through the technologies in this class I was also able to use those technologies to inspire students in teaching situations as well.