Final Reflections

Hello Walden Colleagues!

Reflections
Immediate adjustments that I will make to my instructional practices have already been set into motion. My students will be using technology more. That is the bottom line. My change is slow as I think it should be. When I finally launch a full, technology based class that can be accessed by students, parents and community members I want it to be something to be proud of as well as something that everyone will want to come back to. So my long term goals are to continue learning and refining my use of technology as it pertains to education and right now we are using Study Blue (www.studyblue.com). This site is an easy to use space to practice and study what we have learned in class. This in itself further differentiates my instruction.
Other less immediate changes that I am making involve my plans for next year. My vision is very different and though I will use many of my old familiar tools (i.e. the textbook in print form and whiteboard) my thoughts and perspective have been opened up a bit. From one of our first classes here at Walden, I am mindful of the impact of my own history, beliefs and perspectives and how they influence how I teach (Kottler, Zehm and Kottler, 2005). Another shift (obvious but significant) is my new knowledge of the possibilities to be explored using technology and what it can do for differentiating my classes (Smith & Throne, 2009). I am excited that I to be using Study Blue but even more so at the many web 2.0 tools and what they will eventually do for me and my students. Something else that I do now is pay more attention to process, strengths and weaknesses of individual students (Laureate Education, Inc. 2009).
Having a fully DI classroom (Laureate Education, Inc. 2009) is something that will take time but I have made a start. I have enjoyed some great improvements in my Spanish III class. They are all very engaged. I would like to see some of them get more creative and others worry less about what will be easiest for them but, alas I have not trained them and will push but can only expect so much at this point.

References

Kottler, J. A., Zehm, S. J., & Kottler, E. (2005). On being a teacher: The human dimension (3rdrd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Laureate Education, Inc., (Executive Producer). (2009). What is differentiated instruction. [DVD].
Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore, MD.:Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). VFE. [DVD] Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Smith, G., & Throne, S. (2007). Differentiating instruction with technology in K-5 classrooms. Belmont, CA: International Society for Technology in Education. 
 Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.