As I reflect on the last seven weeks I am amazed by how this course has changed my thinking about what I am doing as a teacher and what I will do in the future. Upon looking back at the Week 1 checklist I see that I only thought I was doing a good job at using technology in my classroom. I now realize that using technology in the classroom goes far beyond using power points and an interactive white board. Today’s students need and deserve so much more than I have been giving them. To be honest, I feel I have been letting my students down.
Through this course I have learned to use some of the web 2.0 tools that are available. I had heard of blogs, wikis and podcast but had never used them or thought about how I could integrate them into my lessons before this course. It amazes me how simple they are to use and how much my students enjoyed participating in them. My second graders really got excited about the podcast. They have also enjoyed looking at blogs from around the world. I am very excited about implementing their use in my classroom and teaching my students how to use them in a responsible manner. Next years class can look forward to blogging from day 1.
I have always thought that I was doing the right thing by having the students complete individual projects. This course has opened my eyes to the importance of collaboration among students to complete projects and assignments. This truly is teaching them a life-skill that they must use if they are to be successful in the workplace of the 21st century. Isn’t that what teaching is all about?
Along with web 2.0 tools and collaboration, I have also learned that my students need a facilitator instead of an instructor. I need to let go and let them make decisions and discover information on their own. It’s time for the classroom to shift from teacher-centered to student-centered. This will perhaps be the hardest change for me to make since the teacher-centered classroom is what I grew up with and the way I was taught to teach.
My goals for the future will focus on creating a technology-based, student-centered classroom. I plan to use the summer break to revise my lessons and assessments to include wikis, blogs and other tools that encourage collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. I will share these ideas with other teachers in the hopes that they are open to trying something new. I plan to be an advocate for 1 to 1 laptops and other tools that put technology in the hands of all students. My ultimate goal is to become a facilitator of instruction, which will require “rewiring” my brain. Through the information that I have received during the past seven weeks and the courses that are to come, I feel certain that this goal can and will be met.
I am very excited about implementing these changes. At the same time, I realize that attaining these goals will take a lot of research and time but the more I learn, the more I can enrich the lives of my students. It also means that I will find myself in the minority at times, which can be a very scary, lonely place. It is then that I have to remind myself of my reason for teaching, to make a difference. These students are our future leaders. We have a responsibility to put aside our fears and make sure they are given all the tools they need to become successful citizens.
