This course has made me feel like I am up to date on my technology skills as a professional teacher. I feel like a computer whiz and I cannot wait to start the new school year, so I can not only use what I have learned in the course in my classroom, but share my knowledge with other teachers that what to use these strategies in their classrooms. I feel like I can walk into a room with others discussing new strategies for the classroom involving technology and I would be able to understand and add to the discussion now.
This course has broadened my view on teaching and the learning process. I am no longer unaware of why are students are having a hard time in today’s typical classrooms and what skills that these students are going to need in order to succeed outside of school. I now realize that I need to change my strategies and how I present information to my students in order to keep them engaged in the lesson but also prepare them for the future. This course has shown me that traditional learning strategies are not longer going to work for today’s students because today’s students are not the traditional learner.
The ways that I have changed my perspective from being teacher centered to learner-centered are that my students are not no longer going to benefit from a teacher centered classroom and in order for them to succeed they need to be taught in a learner centered environment. I now realize that I need to let my students struggle in a healthy way on challenging tasks and not jump right in and help them. My perspective has changed from thinking that my students are to young to do some of these tasks to my students need to start practicing these skills as soon as possible because most of my students do not have access to lot of technology at home. I need to work on my patience to let the students work through problems in their own way, if even if it means changing my agenda and stepping out of my comfort zone.
The ways that I can continue to expand my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement are to continue with the masters program that I currently enrolled in at Walden and to continue to read and participate in blogs that relate to integrate technology into the classroom. I think that being able to see what other people are doing in their classrooms and then modified it to fit into my classroom will be a great help. I want to attend workshops, training, and or lectures that discuss using technology to increase students learning and stay current and up to date on the ever changing best practices and how to use technology in a new way.
The first long-term goal for transforming my classroom environment is for my students to use a form of technology daily in some way, shape or form. This will be a challenge because I currently have only one computer in my classroom and the computer labs are on the other side of the building and are not set-up in a way for me to work with my deaf students. I plan to accomplish this goal by getting computers that people no longer want and setting them up in my classroom. I will write grants to try and get more technology into my classroom, like digital video camera, video iPods, and web cameras. If I have all of these forms of technology at my fingertips, I will be able to create lesson centered on them and the students will get to use them daily. The second goal that I want to accomplish is to have a classroom blog site that the students contribute to and also provides lesson in ASL, spelling list, a place where parents can connect together and come to learn American Sign Language. I want to be able to post the students themselves signing for the online resource and stories. I want it to be a place where students can go and still be exposed to sign language at home and a place where parents can go and learn the language that their child uses to communicate. The way that I am going to accomplish this goal is by getting my administration and parents on board. I think that is going to be the most challenging part because I know that parents and administrators are going to be worry about having videos of the students online for everyone to see. I am going to have to conceive them that the students are going to be protected and that the blog site will provide huge benefits to the students, parents, and the community.
