Reflection of Technology Use in the Classroom

I have learned so many new ways to incorporate technology into my life and classroom. I have created a personal blog as well as a classroom blog. I have created a wiki with my colleagues and experimented with a wiki with my students. I now use “Wikipedia” as one of my sources when looking up information. I know and understand my student’s experiences with technology better than I ever have before and have started to use these new technologies within my classroom.

My knowledge of the teaching and learning process during this course has become more open minded with the learner’s interests and needs put at the forefront. I am teaching “digital native” students; therefore I need to let them use tools that they are comfortable using. I also need to think about the 21st Century skills that I should be equipping my students with to succeed beyond their K-12 experience.

My biggest “a-ha” moment throughout this course has been that of being a facilitator of learning, not just the teacher giving students knowledge. This is something that I have always tried to do, facilitate for my students and let them construct their own meaning. Technology is a powerful and functional way to facilitate learning. Students thrive when they are engaged and excited about a topic that they have choice in. This spring I let my student’s explore, collaborate, problem solve, and have fun like never before. One to one computers for each student was a wonderful experience for my students and me this spring. I can’t wait to expand on this project next year and incorporate the use of a class wiki.

I plan to continue my knowledge of teaching and learning with technology by continuing my exploration with blogs, wikis, and podcasts within the classroom. I hope to add more “tricks” to my bag within the next year to expand my use of technology. I want to spread the word to other teachers and let them see the amazing things technology can do for the classroom!

I plan to use blogs as a major form of homework assignments from this point on. Instead of having students complete individual reading logs I plan to have them blog each week about what they are reading, to hopefully pass the word on about different books they are reading. (Reading Blog, not Reading Log!;) I also plan to use podcasting as a way to share information within the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. I would like to share our learning with other schools in the district, country, and even the world! I know I will have some convincing and explaining to do to staff, parents, and students, because these things will be new to some of them. Eventually, I know everyone will see the impact, success, and vital need that these new technologies will play in the classroom. My goal is student success and technology is a wonderful tool to use to achieve this aspiration. I look forward to next school year and can’t wait to begin exciting and igniting my student’s abilities.

Technology Survey with Pocasting

Technology use by my sixth graders isn’t what I expected it to be. I thought my students were spending a lot of time watching TV and playing video games. On average, out of 52 6th graders, time spent watching TV is about 30 minutes a day on school days, more on the weekends. Only 5% of my students say they play video games, and those that do spend about an hour a day. Time spent talking on the phone was also less than I thought, about 10 minutes a day on average. The “shocking” results of my survey was that fact that only 40% of my students use text messaging or instant messaging, but of those 40% they say they spend their day, after school is out, texting constantly! All of my students have at least one computer at home and do have internet access. Most of my students say that their parents put limits on them during the school week and they feel they don’t have time after sports practice and homework. Students feel that they have received ample time at school researching online and using computers to create digital projects. 6th graders are really in the beginning stages of using MySpace and Facebook, but it is something that they believe is really cool! My feeling is that their technology use may make a steep increase the older they get and as parents ease up on time restrictions. Listen to the podcast created by my students and myself: http://hall.podbean.com/mf/web/atkewd/MsHallpodcastassignment.mp3