As I sit to begin my reflection on this course, the reading I've done, the scenario project, new uses of technology, and even the video of my final presentation I feel proud of myself. Time goes by so quickly and it is often easy to lose track of just how much has been accomplished in a short amount of time.
Personally, I have two large take-aways from this course. The first is about my personal style and learning. As excited as I get about new technology and uses for students I need to remember to be thoughtful in what I choose to use. Now, thoughtful doesn't have to mean delaying implementation (in the past this would have been tempting for me), but it does mean choosing a few specific pieces to bring to my students that match the purpose and are developmentally appropriate. I can easily be caught up in how impressive or engaging certain tools are, but if I jump in to everything most things will not go well and I'll end up stopping rather than increasing my toolbox slowly. My second take-away is that using technology innovatively means using it in a transformative way. Giving students a real purpose and audience is huge!
Two tools that I have been using specifically because of this class are Twitter and Google Hangout. I have started following certain people on Twitter who I know will post information that is relative and helpful to me. I have even been trying to 'tweet' at least 1-2 times/week about things happening in my classroom. Just as students enjoy having an audience I have felt great because professionals within my district have 'liked' or 'retweeted' a few of my 'tweets'. At the beginning of this course I casually mentioned that I would like to explore Google Hangout as a tool compared to Skype. I am so glad that I did! I have found it to be a much easier platform to use and therefore have been more willing to set up 'hangouts' for my students. I plan to do a mystery number 'hangout' every few weeks so that students can build their math language and number sense as well as their speaking and listening skills.
Watching myself present on the video was challenging. During my first viewing I focused solely on how I looked, mannerisms, and mistakes. When I watched it again I was able to actually focus on the content I was presenting and I didn't feel as badly (it's still not my favorite activity to watch myself), but I do see the value. There were a few places where I would have added just a word or two more (explaining popsicle sticks) so that my audience would have a complete picture of what I was trying to say.
I have enjoyed this course and feel like my students are already benefiting from the things I have learned!
Personally, I have two large take-aways from this course. The first is about my personal style and learning. As excited as I get about new technology and uses for students I need to remember to be thoughtful in what I choose to use. Now, thoughtful doesn't have to mean delaying implementation (in the past this would have been tempting for me), but it does mean choosing a few specific pieces to bring to my students that match the purpose and are developmentally appropriate. I can easily be caught up in how impressive or engaging certain tools are, but if I jump in to everything most things will not go well and I'll end up stopping rather than increasing my toolbox slowly. My second take-away is that using technology innovatively means using it in a transformative way. Giving students a real purpose and audience is huge!
Two tools that I have been using specifically because of this class are Twitter and Google Hangout. I have started following certain people on Twitter who I know will post information that is relative and helpful to me. I have even been trying to 'tweet' at least 1-2 times/week about things happening in my classroom. Just as students enjoy having an audience I have felt great because professionals within my district have 'liked' or 'retweeted' a few of my 'tweets'. At the beginning of this course I casually mentioned that I would like to explore Google Hangout as a tool compared to Skype. I am so glad that I did! I have found it to be a much easier platform to use and therefore have been more willing to set up 'hangouts' for my students. I plan to do a mystery number 'hangout' every few weeks so that students can build their math language and number sense as well as their speaking and listening skills.
Watching myself present on the video was challenging. During my first viewing I focused solely on how I looked, mannerisms, and mistakes. When I watched it again I was able to actually focus on the content I was presenting and I didn't feel as badly (it's still not my favorite activity to watch myself), but I do see the value. There were a few places where I would have added just a word or two more (explaining popsicle sticks) so that my audience would have a complete picture of what I was trying to say.
I have enjoyed this course and feel like my students are already benefiting from the things I have learned!
Tracy,
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I see your thoughtful learning and growth. Especially I appreciate that you tried tweeter as a professional tool. Also, I agree with Jeff, the fact that you tried a few tools, evaluated their usefulness for the scenario and ruled out some, as they were not serving the purpose or were not age appropriate. Thank you and your daughter so much!
:)
Vitaliy