Computer technology has always been a part of my life. My father, who is also a teacher, would bring home his classroom Apple IIc so that my sister and I could use it. Without any book to look for computer commands, I quickly learned how to operate this machine. It is just as well as there was no book because I was only five years old, and my reading skills were quite limited. Despite the low level capabilities of that computer, in many ways it was more complicated to use than the machines that many of my students are using today. What this says to me is that the clear masters of current technologies are those that are immersed in them from an early age. With the enormous number of technologies available today, teachers would be naive to think that they could teach their classes better without computers, iPads, Kindles, Activboards and other such technologies. Our students are technologically savy, and teachers must embrace this.
The greatest impact of this class has been the opportunity to revisit the variety of learning theories. After rereading my initial theory on learning, I feel quite comfortable in saying that nothing has changed in my thinking, and the research I have had the opportunity to review has emboldened me in the classroom and in working with colleagues. Perhaps I needed a way to express my beliefs, but it really was quite a simple thing. Instructional tools are valuable, but the true value lies in the learning tools. Merely standing at the front of the class using a piece of technology can only help students so much. Teachers must remember to provide students the opportunity to use all of these amazing technologies to further their learning.
This course has also pushed me to increase the opportunities my students have to engage in their own learning through the use of these valuable technology pieces. Currently, the two technologies that I intend to use the most are wikis and podcasting. I feel that both provide students with a chance to collaborate with classmates while retaining that necessary independent learning component. These tools can enhance learning in many ways. Possibly the greatest way that wikis will impact my classroom is the ability for students to collaborate without being together. In the past, I had to provide students with all of the time needed to work together. With the 1-to-1 Netbook initiative, all of my students have access to the Internet outside of the school. Therefore, they can continue to work on a project without being physically together. Podcasting can provide students with the opportunity to create and perform while removing some of the fears that often comes with projects that have an audience of peers. Overall, I would say that I have a toolbox full of great strategies that incorporate behaviorism, constructivism, and social learning theory, and with the technology I have available to me, I will be able to provide students with many great learning experiences.
My Goals
The first long-term goal change I would like to make is early integration of technology pieces to create more opportunities for student created and led projects. I have recently accepted a high school position, and I feel that working with these more mature students will allow me to do just this. I recognize it will be quite a challenge, and yet it is one that I feel I must accept if I want to develop higher quality projects for my students. I would like to provide tutorials for each of my major components (blogs, wikis, and podcasts) within the first weeks of school. This will provide the opportunity later on for students to take their projects to a deeper level as we engage more complex material.
My second long-term goal is to vary the strategies that I use with my students and apply them strategically from the very beginning. I am still settling into my comfort zone, and I feel that perhaps, some of my successes have been more fortune than intent. Ultimately, my goal will be to evaluate my students early on to establish how they best learn and find ways to incorporate the appropriate strategies to help each student find their groove in my classroom.
Bringing It to a Close
In many ways, I believe that the changes that have occurred in the way people learn is more perception of what is occurring than actual differences. People have learned independently and socially from the beginning. We have responded to stimuli, rewards and punishments, since life began. The greatest thing that has happened is that educators are now aware of the fact that we learn in these ways. Some of us will always learn because we want knowledge while others must find the value in putting in the time. It is the teacher who must decipher the data so to speak. We can figure out which students need to learn in what way. The strategies are there, as they always have been.
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