Coming into this class I was not convinced of the true need to integrate technology into my classroom. After reading the course materials and participating in the assignments I now realize how imperative it truly is. The concept alone of "participating in an assignment" as opposed to doing it is germane to 21st century skills. The overall objective of schooling, thought of to be, preparing the students for the workforce, will not be accomplished without the integration of technology and the skills of collaboration and problem-solving (Laureate Education, inc. 2007). The workforce has evolved and the schools need to do so as well.
With this in mind I have to say that this class has successfully opened my eyes to the need and to some exciting possibilities. I also have my eyes opened to how archaic my mindset was and in a way how that created a disconnect between myself and my students. A great result of this discovery has been that I have dived into the deep end and have introduced wikis to my students just this Friday. I have decided this is the only way that my technological skill will keep moving forward and I will be able to provide a model of bravely stepping into new territory, problem-solving as I go and collaborating.
Stepping out of my comfort zone is also a way in which I can become a leader in my building and maybe even my district. The most important quality of a leader is usually that he or she has experience; they have done it before and can offer special tips and troubleshoot for those that do not have experience. Another way that I will become a leader (no matter how much experience, if no one follows you really are not a leader) is to target the biggest problem in our building: advisory. As with any state mandate that is not state funded there are headaches after headaches with this program. I have done some reconnaissance and found the perfect technological solution. I am confident I will be able to get other teachers excited about this program. The Washington State program called WOIS has the infastructure already set up for career paths, financial planning, space for portfolios and anything else necessary. It is easy to use (even for this digital immigrant) and on top of that there are even free training programs offered in the summer which I am going to attend.
This offers the perfect introduction to my primary goal; to have all freshmen and any other student who wants to, completely online for their advisory class. I have already done a lot of the work to accomplish this so I expect great results next year and beyond.
My second goal but just as important is to have a curriculum well supported by technology. This will mean that: I will have a teacher website that has useful information, current assignments and helpful links; I will require at least three collaborative projects that will be completed using web 2.0 tools; I will support the improvement of 21st century skills by providing time in the computer lab, require collaboration and complex problem-solving.
A third goal of mine will be to lobby for the money to get thirty iPads in my classroom with the keyboard attachment. In this economic climate my hope of reaching this goal within two years is not high but without any effort the possibity is zero. It may take three or four years to do and by then maybe the bugs will be worked out and the iPads will be that much better.
In many ways the majority of my goals entail doing things differently but as I grow and develop in my 21st century skills and confidence so will my vision for doing different things (Laureate Education, inc. 2007). I have now seen a glimpse or two of what is possible and have connections to new ideas and other teachers who are leaders online. On Friday, dealing with problems unforseen in a foreign setting, I did see a higher degree of engagement from my students. My ultimate goal after all is to transmit a passion for learning, discovering and problem-solving to my students. I have taken the first of some difficult but exciting steps to that end.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2007) "The Emergence of Educational Technology." [Motion Picture]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on the Education, Work and Society. Baltimore: author
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
An experiment in podcasting...
http://jlbp520.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-04-08T15_38_44-07_00
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)