Self Reflection

This course has taught me a lot about how to use technology to effectively deliver a lesson.  I’ve learnt how to create simulations and interactive lessons; I’ve learnt the benefits of teaching a lesson with a video and incorporating games into my lesson. I learnt how to use a smart board and to prepare lessons that the students can use on a smart board to make them more involved in the lesson. I gained a better understanding of image files and how to create new images in various file formats. I especially enjoyed using softchalk and doing the concept map.  After doing this course I have gained more confidence in my abilities of using technological resources. I always considered myself to be tech-savvy but this course has helped me to understand that there are so much more out there to learn about using technology. I enjoyed the links to the various educational sites.  I believe that as a teacher I can use technology to inspire student and creativity. I can teach students how to use technology and that applied with critical thinking, I believe can inspire students to do more and be creative. I learned that technology can be very useful in improving education. One of my highlights of this course is the creation and development of my blogsite. I see myself developing as a teacher with technology to give myself professional growth and help me to be an effective leader.


 

Exploring the joys of teaching through the incorporating of technology in the learning process

Why do we teach? This is a question that many teachers ask themselves. The answer to this question can be presented in many forms; to prepare learners for the ever changing world ahead, to obtain a salary, to have a meaningful profession, and sometimes for the more obvious reason, simply because we love to teach. Take your pick, but whatever the reason, the main idea is to ensure that the learners receive and understand the content. Rhizomatic learning is a way of thinking about learning based on structured ideas. Rhizomatic is a concept that is self-replicating with multiple and interconnected ideas. It, like the learning process is continuous, it has no beginning or end. According to Dave Cormier’s study on the topic, as he looks at why we teach, he points out that he wants the learners to know more than him at the end of the course. He teaches to try and organize their learning journeys. Learning should aways be continous and before we can effectively deliver a lesson we must look at the various needs and learning abilities of the learners. Only then can we prepare a lesson that will meet their needs, but how it is delivered is another factor for successful learning. The world is becoming more technologically advanced, so our techniques should be developed to meet those advancements. This is the stage for 21st Century learning. Many children born in this generation in a house with even the smallest bit of technology, learn to use it by the age of 3. I once heard a professor say that his son was doing more on the computer at 3 yrs old than he knew. I know of an autistic child who can take a simple smart phone and in a few minutes figure out how to change the wallpaper, play the music and set the ringtone. Guess its true what they say, autism speaks. We as educators need to harness these childrens abilities and nuture it so they can develop on what they know and do more with technology than we can imagine. I sit on the subway or in other public places, that children frequent and most times they are carrying some electronic device. We look at this as them keeping themselves entertained, but maybe if we look closer we may see that it could be a need for help. This can be seen in the video “A vision of K-12 students today”.  Many of those learners may have learning disabilities but yet they are able to use technology. As educators we need to learn how we can use that technology to create successful learners. This may require us to become 21st Century learners as well, reiterating the concept of Rhizomatic learning. Learning is continuous.