Personal Learning Reflection

Over the course of the last six weeks I am amazed at all I have learned and how some of my own opinions and ideas about learning have changed. As the week progressed in this class I continued to get more and more excited each week on what we were learning. It was so great to hear how other instructors were using technology in the classroom, both from online clips and other classmates. Sharing is so valuable!

When I started the class my plan was to have a better understanding of technology and how I could use it in the classroom to help with instructions. I felt as if I needed to know EVERYTHING about technology before I could invite it into the classroom. What I learned was just the opposite. Most of the time you will NOT know everything. Technology is advancing very rapidly and sometimes we all learn as we go.  Teaching students HOW to learn gives them the tools in learning the technology on their own. Having students learn and then teach other students is a great resource.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in this class is that you have to make sure you are using technology for a purpose. Although technology can be fun, if it is not a tool to reach the goal outlined in the lesson then it is just a waste of time. Use of the Internet can be very helpful, but also very distracting. Keep your eyes on the prize and set specific goals for the students.

The group assignment we did was very helpful in understanding technology and it's use in education. Not only from the subject we researched, but from how we worked together to complete the assignment. We used online tools such as Google Docs, Wiki spaces, Delicious and Skype to meet and collaborate.  It was so helpful to use them in a real setting instead of just reading how to use them.

Another goal on my plan was to use technology resources that were low cost or free. We learned so many FREE online tools that I have a great bag of tricks to take back to the classroom! I knew of these tools before, but did not understand HOW to use them in a classroom setting.

My new goals include using technology for collaborating. Students can learn SO much from each other and I would like to have more exercises where they work together to solve problems and research topics. I have already been having them do presentations, but working together to do those presentations is a great way to use technology.