My initial theory about learning follows Constructivism theories. I believe students learn best by being active in their learning and by being given a chance to practice on multiple levels. The more you engage a student the more likely the students will remember (Kottler, Zehm,& Kottler, 2005). I understand how students learn and develop. I plan my instruction based on accessing prior knowledge and building on information as I plan lessons. It is my belief that if students are guided in constructing their own views then it will be more meaningful and thus connect to their prior knowledge. I still believe this. Much of the learning in this course supports and suggests that allowing students to explore is the best form of teaching and learning. This course has given me a better understanding of the importance of allowing students to discover their own learning and how that leads to long term memory.
The immediate adjustments I plan on making to my instruction are using the interactive whiteboard in a more interactive sense. I know that sometimes I just use it as a presentation tool. I am aware that my students are more engaged when they know they will be using the board and I need to give them the chance to do that more often. I also need to allow my students the time to enjoy technology as well. I know there are numerous games that students can play online to practice math facts or grammar for example. I do not make time for this in our schedule and I think the students would benefit from this especially since summer vacation is coming up. It is my hope that the students will utilize these games on summer vacation.
The two new technology tools that I am very excited about integrating into my classroom are Voicethread and Spidescribe. VoiceThread is a way to allow students to view information that they can comment on via text or sound. I believe this is a way to meet diverse learners. Struggling students are given a chance here to use their voice instead of having to write it all down. It gives them a chance to have a sort of conversation. I believe that the possibilities are endless with Voicethread. My students will have many ideas about a way to utilize this tool when I introduce it to them. The other tool is Spiderscribe. This is a tool that can be used for concept mapping. I believe that concept mapping is important for students to do because it shows them the connections among a subject. It also allows the students to make those connections. Making connections is essential in long term learning.
I have set two goals for the following school year. One of the goals is to set up a class wiki where the students can add information about Indiana. I envision this as a class wiki where we add many pages over the course of the school year so that we can access and use it for various purposes. I am going to implement this goal by becoming better familiar with the wiki. I am going to spend time this summer finding sites that students may browse for information. I will need to allow my class the opportunity to navigate the wiki. I currently have four computers available in my room for use and will need to determine how to make those computers available to all the students. Another goal of mine is to use the site edmodo in a more educational manner. I created an edmodo site for my students this year. It is sort of like facebook for our class. I enjoy reading and participating in the conversations that the students have on there. I do post questions and we take surveys, but I have really allowed the students freedom to use it as a social tool. I would like to create a more educational site with my class next year. I will invite the parents to participate and use this in place of the class web page that we have. It will be a place where the students and parents can check calendars, add pictures, see what we are learning, and participate in our discussions. I really like that I am in control of what is posted and that no one else can be apart or view our page unless they have a password. I believe that my class is more community centered now that we have this site set up.
This course has forced me to evaluate myself as a teacher. I have learned that there are numerous opportunities for students to be using technology tools in our classroom. I am thankful to have the chance to learn about these new and exciting tools. I think the biggest problem I face is finding the time to explore the tools in order to teach the students how to use them. Then I remember that I should allow the students to explore the tools on their own and that will be a learning opportunity for them. Bottom line is that students need to be familiar and exposed to the technology tools available to them. This is the future of learning and it is my job to get them ready for the future.
Kottler, J. A., Zehm, Stanley J., Kottler, E. (2005). On Being a Teacher: The Human Dimension. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
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