Originally, I planned to take this course just
to gain knowledge about the new Web 2.0 available technology. Knowledge is very personal and I wanted this
knowledge for myself. Once I gained that
knowledge, I would pass it on to my students in the classroom. I wanted to get
knowledge of how to make my classroom more engaging through using technology
instead of standing in front of students lecturing. Since starting the class I have learned far
more than what I initially thought. I
not only learned of new technologies but took those technologies to another
level in how I teach my class. The
information I learned from this first class has helped me understand that there
is more to it than just learning the technology, but it is how the technology
can apply to the students’ learning. The
course work exceeded what I wanted to achieve from the course in every aspect. I have every intention of extending what I
learned from this course and placing into curriculum in the classroom.
The skills I have learned from this course
are very relevant in my work as a teacher and mentor. I have already shared several of the new
tools with other educators in my grade level and with the other teachers across
the campus. Most notable has been the
use of blogs and wikis and how their applications can be used as a teaching
tool in different subjects. I now
understand how blogs can be used as an interactive journal in many courses,
such as science. Instead of using a lab
journal, a student could post his or her observations for an ongoing science
investigation or experiment. This would
be an excellent way to provide information from the findings of the
investigation. Using a wiki is an
excellent method of having an ongoing dialogue with students or coworkers
concerning virtually any subject. The
group could respond with editing or additions to whatever documents have been
posted. Using either one of these, wikis
or blogs, or a combination of both, could be an outstanding tool to use for
extending the classroom from just the boundaries of the classroom walls. These two tools could take classroom learning
from inside a building to the world with a simple push of button.
The outcomes I have not been able to achieve are
not from anything within the confines of this course. The “system”, or more exactly, the school
system, has prevented me from not achieving my desired goals. The availability of the material to use is
somewhat boggling. The issue is not the
availability but the inability to use the material in the classroom. Within my classroom I have the Internet
connectivity, but what is not available is a way to get around the filters,
blocks and security protocols to use it.
Within my district, as with many others across the state, there are
blocks, filters, and security measures that prevent the use of the web-based
teaching tools. These blocks, filters,
and security protocols are in place because of the fear students will use the
tools in ways they were not intended or for those from outside the school
gaining access to the students information and using this information to harm
our students. I was excited and
energetic about the new technology and had great ideas of how to use them in
the classroom yet only to find that I could not use them due to these
restrictions. There are ways to get
around the security protocols; however, it is not worth risking my job or the
safety of the student to do so.
Surprisingly, the students are fully aware of how to get around the
security protocols. This only means that
the students are very cognizant of the new technology and are far more
technology savvy than we sometimes give them credit for.
The assignments were very easy to
accomplish. Each week the assignments
were laid out with a clearly defined rubric as to the assignment
expectations. Within Epic Player, the week’s
assignments were laid out first with “To Do List”. By simply following the list, the readings,
videos, and class weekly assignment were easy to follow and complete. When directed to accomplish an assigned task
in a new area instruction, the directions were furnished in a clear and concise
manner. They include a step-by-step
guide on how to do the task as well as the desired outcome. Along with the week’s “To Do List”, the added benefit of a letter from the class
instructor made the course assignments easy to understand follow. The instructor succinctly explained the
learning objectives and expectations for the assignment. She also provided suggestions on how to make
the assignment projects apply to the course objectives. The weekly webcasts provided the additional
face-to-face time with the instructor that allowed for questions about the
course or coursework that would not be gained in readings. I was able to complete all tasks from the
course assignments easily and quickly, making the course more enjoyable even as
a full time teacher.
During this course I learned a tremendous
amount about myself. According to the
individual assessment taken at the beginning of the course, I found that I am
very much an auditory and tactile learning.
I have known this all my life but these assessments reinforced that
finding. This course is not an auditory
learning environment, rather a visual with the huge amounts of reading that
must be done. However, I found that I
could do this type of learning environment.
It took establishing a set schedule of times to read in a quiet area. I even so much as redesigned my office to be
better for learning. I have managed to
stay ahead of the readings making it easier to accomplish the assignments. Being a prior military officer, I knew I had
the leadership skills. This comes from
leading troops for over 20 years in garrison and combat operations. It was not that much of a jump to switch from
training troops for combat to teaching children how to prepare for the
future. From the technology aspect of
the course, I thought that I was ahead of the game, more so than others on my
campus. I am ahead but in the overall
technology issue, I am far behind where I should be. I am usually the go-to-guy for the campus
when it comes to technology and how to put it to use on campus. Where I thought I knew a lot, I find that I
haven’t even scratched the surface as to what is out there to teach our students. There are so many resources available for our
students and so many ways to bring technology into the classroom that it will
take years to fully comprehend what is out there. My attitude has changed since I started this
course. I have found that I enjoy
learning and enjoy finding new and innovative ways to teach students and watch
their faces as they learn a new concept.
