Week 5 Assignment 5352

1. The outcomes that I envisioned for this course included learning about the different types of technology and how to implement them in the classroom, technology TEKS for various grade levels, and how to use technology as an administrator. I was very apprehensive about this course because technology can be so overwhelming to me and I was worried about implementing new technology through the course. The outcomes I envisioned were achieved as well as many new skills that I learned about during this course. It is sometimes hard to imagine what you don’t know so envisioning outcomes was a little difficult for me at the beginning of this course because of my lack of knowledge. Technology is definitely my weakness so I was not quite sure what I expected. There were many things that I learned that I find very valuable now but was unaware of before the course. Those include things like blogs, wikis, and technology plans that have been developed for technology from the district and state level. The actual course outcomes aligned and surpassed those that I envisioned.

2. The outcomes from this class that I hoped to achieve and still other skills that I learned are very applicable to my classroom. The long term plan written by TEA was very interesting and has totally changed my thinking in the classroom about how technology should be implemented. I have used technology in my classroom but it was quite helpful to see where the state was expecting teachers and school districts to go in the next few years and to see defined expectations. I have already started using blogging in my classroom and my students love it! The biggest lesson I learned and now apply to my classroom is that I need to integrate technology to help teach the lesson or concept. I think so many times technology is being used as a practice tool or enrichment activity. There are many programs out there that will help teach the curriculum so as to connect to students and help create 21st century learners.

3. I don’t think that there were any outcomes that I did not achieve during this course. With my limited technology skills, it was almost like a surprise each week to see what I was going to be doing. I actually surprised myself with what I learned and how easy it was to actually do some of the things required. I know when I first saw some of the assignments it was a little overwhelming because I didn’t even understand the assignment. By the end of the course, I did not only understand what was asked of me but was also able to take what I learned and apply it directly to my classroom.

4. I was quite successful in carrying out the course assignments however not without many hours of work and using the technology coordinator at our school. Setting up the blog was a big challenge just because of my lack of understanding, especially when it came to posting the power point. I was quite unclear as to what a blog was, how it was used, and how it was supposed to be set up. I did manage to set it up following the directions that were given but am not sure that I could do that on my own. It was very discouraging to spend that amount of time setting up the blogs but encouraging to final complete and utilize them. It made me realize the importance of the technology coordinator at our school. After completing the assignment, I went to her to for assistance in setting up a class blog. She makes it look so easy but after the experience of setting one up I know it wasn’t as easy as she made it look. As an administrator, I now know the importance of a strong technology leader at the schools to help teachers continue using technology in the classroom as a resource for teaching the required curriculum.
5. I learned much about technology and myself in this course. Things like blogs, wiki, and even posting a power point were always things that I wanted to learn and use in the classroom but never thought I could do. I think that the one thing that my students don’t have that I wish I did not have is fear. That is fear of pushing the wrong button or doing something wrong. I tell my students all the time that we can fix it but I don’t apply that to myself when it comes to working on the computer. They will just sit down and push a button and see what happens. I know this has caused grief at times in class but most of the time they discover something new or find something interesting just by exploring the possibilities. I have also learned that I am capable of using technology in my classroom not just for enrichment but for the teaching of curriculum.
6. The educational value of blogs is not measureable especially to the 21st century learner. Not even knowing what a blog really was before this class, I have learned not only what it is but how to use it for myself and also how to apply it to my classroom. As technology becomes more and more integrated in the classroom, blogging opens the door for communication in education from the poor to the rich. It allows students to communicate outside their classroom, city, state, and even nation. I found it fascinating that children in New York were communicating with children in England. It is the perfect way to bring experiences to children that might not otherwise have a chance. I have brought blogs to my classroom to allow children at all three elementary schools to communicate about a project called “Travel Across Texas”. Students are posting their journals to their blog and responding to each other’s postings. It is a great tool to have in the classroom, not to mention a way to meet the goals of the technology long term plan.
7. There are of course concerns about using blogs in the classroom. The obvious one to me is that the blog is live on the internet and open for everyone to see and to post. Students may come across information that they do not want to see or perhaps that you do not want them to see. In order to help that, you have to teach students what to do should that happen to them while blogging or reading a blog. However security is always a topic of conversation with the students and between the teachers. I think by keeping a watch on your students and constantly monitoring what they are doing and saying can prevent much of this from happening. In my class, we set up one blog and gave them pen names so as not to be identified by others. They all blog to the same site so that others can see what they are saying and responding. This also allows me to monitor what is being said and what is being written. Despite the concerns and hazards of blogging, I think the pros far outweigh the cons.
8. Blogging can be a great way to communicate with school stakeholders. We recently visited a nursing home and gave them gifts as a service project. We responded to what we did in a journal. If we had posted to the blog instead and then shared the address and name with the school board members and superintendent, they could have seen firsthand the reactions of the students rather than me sending them an email and summarizing how the students reacted. It would also be a great way to get input from teachers, parents, and the community about controversial subjects. Parents could respond and react in a very safe environment without having everyone meet at a local place and feeling like they can’t say what they would like to say. Blogging could also be a great place for a book study within a grade level, school, or across district.