CO-PBST+7+Reflection

//Reflection! //

//If you look at the world around you, it is obvious that technology has become an integral part of our lives. We use it to connect to each other, we use it to shop, we use it to play music, and finally we use it to learn. Sometimes this occurs when we quickly look up the definition of a word, the location of our destination, or to look up that movie title that is on the tip of your tongue. Other times we use technology to research relevant topics, present interesting information, and share our lives. // //As far as teaching is concerned, we focus on the learning part. We ask ourselves, how can I use technology to make sure my kids are learning, and then, how can I have them use technology to show that they have learned. Teachers are expected to be familiar with and proficient in the knowledge and implementation of technology in the classroom. This expectation is set up as a group of Colorado based standards (as follows) // //7.1 Apply technology to the delivery of standards-based instruction // //7.2 Use technology to increase student achievement // //7.3 Utilize technology to manage and communicate information // //7.4 Apply technology to data-driven assessments of learning // //7.5 Instruct students in basic technology skills // //In this reflection I will explain how I have met each of these standards using the tools and strategies I have learned. //

//7.1~ I have created a Prezi to present information. This visual tool enhances any type of presentation of information. Often students need a visual element to understand information as opposed to just a lecture. Being able to see the information assists them in comprehending and retaining what they are learning. Additionally, it gives them something to reference to recall information asopposed to taking notes. For example, you can "share" your Prezi with your students then they will always have access to the information. // //7.2~Student achievement may be increased in many ways. Offering choice in product may motivate them to work hard and be successful. Meaning that instead of just writing essays, students may want to make a digital story or a podcast. People say that variety is the spice of life and if that is the case, and you want "life" in your classroom, why not offer variety? Additionally, this assists in accommodating for different learning styles. Students, who may have underachieved in composing their essay, may prove to be quite articulate in a digital story. Moreover, those who struggle to organize information in their writing may prove to be successful using a Prezi tool. Obviously the product you choose will depend on what you are teaching and how you want the students to demonstrate what they have learned. However it is imperative to keep in mind the many technological weapons you have in your teaching arsenal. This not only offers variety in the classroom but gives the students the opportunity to learn how to use technology in various ways. This knowledge may become invaluable in the future as they move forward into a world where technology will undeniably be a part of their learning environment. //

//7.3 As aforementioned in the 7.1 reflection, I have used Prezi to communicate information. For example, my students recently read Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild". This text was chosen to illustrate literary elements allusion, conflict, plot formula, and the theme of human condition. However, before my students could analyze these elements, they had to first understand the concepts. Therefore, I presented these new concepts in the form of a Prezi. This helped me organize the information into a clear and concise manner that could be easily understood. Because these concepts can be quite complex, using the Prezi tool helped to alleviate some of the complexity. This Prezi can be found on the Web2.0 page. //

//Besides for the tools I have already mentioned, another way to manage and communicate information is to use edmodo.com. This allows you to post daily classroom activities and assignments for students who may be absent. This is an extremely effective way to make sure that students have all the information they need to be successful even when they miss class. It also ensures that you are using precious class time to teach and not wasting the time running around trying to keep track of absences and make-up work. Finally, you can use wikispaces to make a portfolio like this one so that you students, their parents, and your administrators can see what your teaching philosophies and strategies are. //

//7.4~Technology has revolutionized the way we teach not only because we can (and are required to) integrate technology into our classrooms but there is technology available that allows us to compile data that can drive our instruction. For example, at my school we use the ACUITY system to administer a standardized test. This test allows us to compile the data of our students in order to view what the students still need to learn. For example, if most of your Language Arts students take the test and many of them miss a question in regards to the literary element of "tone", as a teacher you know you need to teach texts that illustrate author's tone. That way when they take their TCAP tests, they will be able to answer these questions correctly. ACUITY testing sets the benchmark for where the students are and where they need to be. Without technology, teachers would have to spend hours analyzing tests and compiling data themselves; or even worse, they may end up with no data at all to drive their instruction. Additionally, if you do not work at a school that uses this type of tool, always consider how teachers use technology to do their own assessment. For example, I often use rubistar.com to write rubrics for my students. Rubrics offer students the ability to completely understand the expectation of the assignment and what they can do to succeed on each task. It also affords them the opportunity to self-assess and reflect ontheir process and what grade they think they earned. // //7.5~It is one thing for the teacher to be knowledgeable about technology but it shouldn't stop there. As educators it is our job to ensure that students are literate and savvy in today's world of technology. This means that while we should be using technology to teach in our classrooms, we are also responsible for making sure that the students get some experience using the technology as well. In my classes, I like to use one tool of technology to introduce a new assignment, then by the end of the unit have my students make their own product using that same tool. For example, as I stated above, I used Prezi to introduce new concepts during our "Into the Wild" unit. At the end of this unit I had my students make their own Prezi's that presented analysis of the text. Furthermore, in an Odyssey unit I use a digital story to introduce the text and offer background information on some of the features of Greek mythology. Then, at the end of the unit, the students made their own digital story describing a scene in the book and offering more features of Greek mythology. This way the students do not only get to "see" the technology being implemented but they also get to learn it as well. //