In this technology class, I have certainly gained a lot of knowledge about different projects I could use in my own classroom. Things ranging from KWL (What you know, What you want to know, What you learned) charts, blogs, Portaportals, and Google sites, documents, calendars, etc. Each of these things would create a hands-on experience for the students in my classroom which will engage them in their studies to improve their learning! Technology is becoming a daily part of our lives. Though the paper and pencil method may be good and useful for some, children in today's society are more familiar with computers, touchscreens, and television. As educators, it is our job to be able to teach our students with what they are most familiar with. If technology will make learning more engaging and easy for the classroom, the question is why not take advantage of it?
In what I have learned, these are a few ways that I would use the projects in my classroom. KWL charts would allow the class as a whole to see where everyone stands. This can create a goal for everyone to focus on, and also let everyone see what kind of progress is being made. Learning to create a blog for myself would be a good way for parents to see my thoughts about the class and even my teaching methods. This would keep everyone up-to-date on things because thoughts are always changing! For a class, students could create their own blogs to create stories, to express feelings, or as a whole, it would be used in place for a classroom website. Portaportals are very unique, and I am thrilled to have been able to create one. This makes connections with other teachers, students, and parents. Student and parents can work together by getting on the internet and playing games, looking up interesting facts, and whatever other links I provide to broaden their thinking. Lastly, Google and all the wonderful things it provides can be used in the classroom for presentations, classroom websites, and much more. Teachers can make a calendar open to student and parents to make sure everyone is on the same page. Students can use Google presentations to create group projects. There are so many ways Google can be used in a classroom, and the point is to experiment with it!
My eyes have truly been opened to the avenue of technology in the classroom. Prior to taking this class, I did not feel very tech-savvy at all. I still have much to learn, but I am amazed at how much I have gained from this class. I had never used any of the tools that we used in this class. I know that sounds crazy, especially coming from a 20 year old, but it is true! I feel that I have truly gained valuable experience and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAll of the projects we did are going to benefit me in my future. However, there were a few that I really enjoyed. The website was very challenging for me to begin with, and I had to ask for help on almost everything. I did figure it out though, and I truly enjoyed creating it. Also, I have really fallen in love with blogs! I enjoy journaling, but I had never used a blog. Now I see how blogs can be personalized and used in many ways. The opportunities to use technology in the classroom have become much more apparent to me, and I am very excited about implementing these tools in my teaching career!