Final Reflective Post

I learned a lot of valuable information in my EME2040 class that would help me in my teaching career. The textbook was a helpful tool to me to understand and learn the importance of introducing technology into the classroom, and to learn the diverse web tools that exist to make our lesson more appealing and enhance student learning. It is always good to have a resource such as the book to look back to and learn how to apply technology in the classroom, and to also know that there are also many helpful technological resources that help our special students, such as ESE and ELL students.

Technology is important in education

The discussions that we had over the semester were assignments that enhanced the participation of everyone in the class to comment about different and important topics for us to know as future educators. I think that the discussions worked great to put together everyone’s thoughts and opinions on the topics discussed. On the discussion boards we discussed about the technology that could help students with disabilities to have the same opportunities as others in education, how to incorporate it in the classroom, know that the assistive technology works wonderful to meet the needs of ESE and ELL students, and legal and ethical issues of the use of the internet resources.

Technology is a wonderful in education

Credits to Texas A&M University-Co... On Flickr

I gained a lot of knowledge in this class through the different assignments, which I will be using and developing in my career. My favorite activities were the WebQuest and the Teacher Webpage Portfolio. I believe that WebQuest are a wonderful tool to introduce in the classroom; it helps to enhance student learning by engaging them in fun and educational activities, and the students to explore their skill and learn more about a concept. WebQuests are online inquiries that allow putting information about any topic together. WebQuests provide students with the opportunity to work independently or in small group activities that incorporate research, problem solving, and application of basic skills. The Teacher Webpage Portfolio helps to incorporate all the accomplishments that I have done in this course, and I can always refer back to when I need it. The instructional Wiki is another tool that can be also used in the classroom to inform students about any specific topic. 


Although it was hard to work as a group in the collaborative lesson plan, it gave an idea of what teachers have to do before standing up and teach the class. Teachers need to have a lesson plan before class, and use the state standards to guide the lessons. The Website Evaluation Rubric helped me to understand that there are better educational websites than others, and that as a teacher, I have to evaluate them before letting the students to use it; my favorite website for kids so far is Funbrain, it provides a fun learning environment through the use of games that help students to build on their skills. I absolutely loved the use of Delicious because it allows us to save important links that can be used in the future.

Here are some of my accomplishment in my EME2040 class:

• WebQuest
• Teacher Webpage Portfolio
• Instructional Wiki

Over all, I enjoyed this class. It gave me an insight of how valuable technology is in education, and that it is amazing to see how much it can contribute to student learning. It was hard to work in group projects because of the restricted communication between team mates. I would have liked to work on the lesson plan individually, because the cooperation of the team mates was not equal, and some had to work more than others. The use of the blog is an effective assignment because it encouraged me to read the chapters and make reflections on points that I believe were important to know to incorporate in the classroom. In this course, I also learned to use some of the web tools that I know will be helpful in the future, so I can use them in my lessons to make them more interactive and engage the students. Technology is all around us, and has already impacted the classroom in a positive way. When technology integration in the classroom is seamless and thoughtful, students not only become more engaged, they begin to take more control over their own learning, too.  I have learned, and want to learn more, how to effectively use technology in the classroom and lead my students to a better learning. 


Refernces:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #L- Ch. 12. Integrating Technology and Creating Change as Teacher Leaders

Integrating Technology and Creating Change as Teacher Leaders from Janyrod




References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #K- Ch. 6. Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps

The three main concepts that I found interesting while reading chapter 6 are:

• WebQuests. 

WebQuests are online inquiries that allow putting information about any topic together. The academic content of any topic in a WebQuest is digital. The teachers can create their own WebQuests to enhance students’ learning. On the WebQuest students can explore the information that the teacher provides, and visit the websites that were preselected for them to focus on any specific topic. I would like to incorporate WebQuests in my classroom. I believe that this online learning activity is really helpful for the students to explore their skill and learn more about a concept. A WebQuest allows the teacher to incorporate activities, informational websites, videos, interactive learning games, and more to enhance a fun leaning environment in the classroom. WebQuests provide students with the opportunity to work independently or in small group activities that incorporate research, problem solving, and application of basic skills. This teacher-created lesson guides student research using the Internet while incorporating skills such as problem solving.

• Online Learning. 

Online learning is the use of electronic media, and educational technology in education. Online learning can occur in or out of the classroom. It is convenient to distance learning and flexible learning, but it can also be used in the classroom with face-to-face teaching. Online education utilizes the Internet or videoconferencing to create learning communities. Course materials are provided on a Web site; email, forums, and chat rooms are used to interact with other students and teachers. It may take place in the classroom; and it may be performed at home, at online access centers, or at a public library. I would use online learning in my classroom, since it can enhance traditional forms of education. Online learning provides hands-on experience using information technologies and makes it easier for students to access learning and customized lessons. By combing online learning with face-to-face teaching in the classroom, the teacher can help the students to enhance their knowledge and build on their skills. I would use interactive websites, educational videos, and learning games to motivate the students and get their attention in the lessons. I believe that by incorporating online learning in the classroom can help students to participate actively in their learning, work collaboratively, develop critical thinking skills, and use different learning styles.

• Educational Websites as Teaching Resources. 

Educational websites are sources found in the internet that contains digital information designed for educational purposes for K-12 students. There are many educational websites to engage the students into interactive learning activities. The educational websites might offer several subjects for different grades, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to choose the ones that can relate to the lessons. I believe that the incorporation of educational websites in the classroom are helpful for the students to keep practicing their skills, engage them in the lessons, and have a better understanding of the subject. I would like to incorporate educational websites that provide educational games because I believe that the students learn more and are more engaged in the lesson by having a fun environment in the classroom. Some of the educational websites that I prefer are:

Funbrain

PBS Kids

ABCya.com





References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #J- Ch.11. Engaging Students in Performance Assessment and Reflective Learning

A digital teaching portfolio, as stated on the book, is a collection of educational and professional materials accumulated in an electronic format (Maloy, p. 279). As teachers, we have to designing a well organized and professional teaching portfolio. This can give us an edge in a competitive job market, and help us score high marks on the school's teacher evaluation form. Electronic Portfolios are a creative means of organizing, summarizing, and sharing artifacts, information, and ideas about teaching and learning, along with personal and professional growth. The reflective process of portfolio development can be as important as the final product. In many cases, they are used as part of faculty and student evaluation along with other assessment tools such as standardized tests. A portfolio is a sampling of the breadth and depth of a person's work conveying the range of abilities, attitudes, experiences, and achievements.The following website, Center for Teaching, is a great resource to learn more about teaching portfolios, such as what to include in it, general guidelines, and also examples of some portfolios.

The next mind map gives some elements that should be included in a digital teaching portfolio.


 
                                                                    Created on Bubbl.us by Janette Rodriguez


Teachers have to evaluate students’ learning, “assessment is central to the work of teaching” (Maloy, p. 277). The assessment of learning and teaching can be viewed as two complementary and overlapping activities that aim to benefit both the quality of student learning and the professional development of the instructor. Assessing learning alone is not sufficient because the ultimate success of students also depends upon their motivation and commitment to learning. Assessing only teaching behaviors and course activities is not sufficient because qualities of the instructor may be appreciated by students, but not optimally helpful to their learning and growth. Assessing teaching and learning can help instructors improve and refine their teaching practices and help improve students’ learning and performance. There are three elements on assessment:

1. New teacher assessment is how supervisors will assess the new teacher’s work. They evaluate the teacher’s academic and classroom performance. 
2. Student assessment is how a teacher will assess students’ learning and his/her own effectiveness as a teacher. Assign grades, complete report cards, conduct meetings with families, and give written or oral feedback in the form of comments or suggestions about the students’ performance. 
3. Student self-assessment is how students are going to participate in the classroom. Student active involvement in learning helps them to build their own commitment to the school curriculum. 

          (Maloy, p. 277-278)


Preassessments are a way for teachers to know what the students know about a topic. These types of assessments come before introducing a new lesson or topic. Students come to the classroom with a broad range of pre-existing knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes, which influence how they attend, interpret and organize the upcoming information. I believe that preassessments are helpful for the teacher to know how to integrate a new lesson with the knowledge that the student already have about any topic. How they process and integrate new information will affect how they remember, think, apply, and create new knowledge. Some preassessments are:

• Pretests 
• Writing prompts 
• Graphic organizers 
• Observations 
• Questions 
• Surveys

References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #I- Ch.4. Designing Lessons and Developing Curriculum with Technology

The following video gives an example of how to create a curriculum on a particular subject.

References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #H- Ch. 9. Expressing Creativity with Multimedia Technologies

Using multimedia in the classroom helps teachers to engage students and provide them with valuable learning opportunities. With the help of multimedia, teachers can present the information to the students combining words and pictures to engage them into the lesson. It is easier to remember a picture than a paragraph, and a video gives more real time knowledge than an oral explanation.


 

References:

Educational Technology Network (2009). Classroom Podcasting/Vodcasting. Retrieved October 19, 2014, from http://www.edtechnetwork.com/podcasting_vodcasting.html 

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #G- Ch. 10 Promoting Success for All Students through Technology

The school society is so diverse, containing people from different cultures, and that might differ in race, language, values, and beliefs.

Technology for Teaching Diverse Students

Image from: Multiculturalism in the Classroom, by Rhodes 

As I mentioned before, schools today have a student population that is multicultural; meaning that there are students from diverse cultures of different races, with different values, beliefs, and different learning abilities. All students should have equal opportunities to learn in school despite their race, social economic status, ethnicity, or cultural characteristics (Maloy, p.246). Teachers need to introduce technologies to increase their capacity to provide support, choice, and flexibility to students. Technology can also help and support the students’ learning based on their different abilities to speak, see, hear, write, and understand English. To teach students effectively and appropriately with the use of technology, requires careful selection of the tools that are going to be used in class., plan purposefully, and have thoughtful implementations. With the help of technology, teachers can create activities for the students to work together regardless of their culture, race, language, and gender boundaries. Some of the examples that the book gives to promote multiculturalism are to create class websites and blogs, work together in teams, and do research and projects together using computers (Maloy, p.247).

Differentiated Instruction (DI)

Image from: Evidence-based and Differentiated Instruction, by UAB

All students learn in many different ways; regardless of their individual differences, however, students are expected to master the same concepts, principles, and skills. Helping all students succeed in their learning is an enormous challenge that requires innovative thinking. DI is a model of instruction in which teachers create different ways to teach their students and meet their learning needs (Maloy, p.248). Based on this, teachers can structure learning environments that address the variety of learning styles, interests, and abilities found within a classroom. Teachers use differentiated instruction to match activities and assessments with their students' interests, abilities, and learning preferences. When a student does not fully understand an oral presentation, then the teacher needs to incorporate to that presentation some images, videos, and hands-on assignments to engages that student into the lesson (Maloy, p.250). The following article, What is Differentiated Instruction?, lists some classroom elements to know the students’ readiness, interest, and learning profile to use differentiated instruction.

   
      Video:Differentiated Instruction, by ASCD

Assistive Technology to Reach Diverse Learners

Image from: Great Assistive Technology for Disabled People, by Medipally 

Assistive technology is any devise that helps students with exceptionalities, or those students that have any learning disability to maintain, or improve their abilities. Teachers use technology to enhance learning, and it is an effective approach for many children. Assistive technology makes it possible for students with any learning disability to experience greater success when they are allowed to use their abilities to work around their disabilities. The following article, Assistive Technology Devices, gives an extraordinary list of examples of assistive technology devices that can be used in the classroom to reach the students’ needs, and help them to increase their participation, achievement and independence. The next video makes it easy to understand better what assistive technology is, and give some examples of where to find assistive devices and decide which ones are better for any disability.

References:

ASCD. (2014). Differenciated Instruction. Retirved from http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/differentiated-instruction-resources.aspx

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Medipally, R. (2014). Great Assistive Technologies for Disabled People. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from https://digitalsoon.com/880/great-assistive-technologies-disabled-people.htm

Rhodes, L. (2010). Multiculturalism in the Classroom. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from http://www.piedmontparent.com/articlemain.php?Multiculturalism-in-the-Classroom-1090

UAB, School of Education. (2014). Evidence-based and Differentiated Instruction. Retrieved from http://www.uab.edu/education/rti/2013-03-20-20-47-04/evidence-based-and-differentiated-instruction

Digital Badge #F- Ch. 8. Communicating and Collaborating with Social Media

Teachers and students can use technology and social media to communicate with each other. Teachers can extend their lessons through any social media such as Facebook, blogs, or websites.

http://prezi.com/g-gopowgul-j/communicating-and-collaborating-with-social-media/#

References:
Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #E- Ch. 7. Exploring Problem Solving with Software, Apps, and Games

Educational computer games, video games, and apps can improve the students learning if they are used in right way and on the appropriate time. I believe that with the help of games students can develop many skills, such as motor skills, they can improve their vision, or they can even learn how to make faster decisions. I would incorporate learning games in the classroom to help the students retain the material learned in class; it would be like a tool to help them enhance their knowledge and explore more in any topic through a fun environment.

The children now days get interested in fun video games, so why not introduce educational video games in the classroom. Teachers can help students to get motivated through a fun yet educational way.

It is proven that video games played with moderation improve coordination, vision, critical thinking, logical and social skills. They also improve multitasking; according to ABC News, video games show real-world improvements on tests of attention, accuracy, vision and multitasking after playing certain titles.

http://app.emaze.com/818218/exploring-problem-solving-with-software-apps-and-games

References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

ABC News. (2011, December 26). The Benefits of Video Games. Technology Review. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/12/the-benefits-of-video-games/

Digital Badge #D- Ch. 5. Teaching Information Literacy and Digital Citizenship

The internet can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning. We, as teachers, should overcome the intimidation of navigating the web, and make use of the web to answer the learning needs of our students. We can also focus on the educational opportunities that the internet provides for the instructional strategies. Now days, everyone must know how to surf the web, look for information, and evaluate its accuracy; this is known as information literacy (Maloy, p. 99).

The internet is such a helpful tool that allows us to navigate through learning environments. It provides us, and the children, to learn the skills of navigation that are necessary for working in the modern world. The internet also permits us to have access to diverse e-books that can be read digitally on a computer or any other digital device. Although many parents believe that having access to electronic books can affect negatively their child’s desire to read, I think that it is wonderful how easy it is to have access to books and scholarly information through the use of a computer.

In many elementary schools, students at an early age are already learning how to use a computer. Teachers and students use computers and other technologies in almost all subjects; this is called Information technology (IF) fluency in schools (Maloy, p. 103). It is also important to know how to properly use search engines to locate information, and also know what engines are more appropriate to use in the classroom. We all know that Google is the most common search engine used by almost everyone, but this engine is most used for general searches. It is better to choose a search engine that allows teachers and student to focus directly on the educational and academic topics.

The internet provides teacher with many useful tools to organize lesson plans, note taking. And it is valuable that it allows us to do so, since teachers spend so much time of the day moving quickly. It is also important that teachers teach their students how to search for information on the internet. Search engines can provide us with three ways to search online, which are: free-text search that focuses on the title or keyword typed in; keyword/exact match search, which gives us information that contains the exact words that were typed in; and Boolean search that uses the terms and, or, and not to narrow a search. Teachers must find what material on the internet is appropriate for the class curriculum, what are the best for learning, and teach students how to search the web by themselves. Teachers also need to teach students the how to conduct an effective search and to critically evaluate the search results. It is important to point out the difference of a scholarly and not-scholarly webpage, such as Wikipedia. And explain the differences about those web pages; for example, encyclopedias are better to search for scholarly information because experts write and review them; whereas internet readers who may or may not know the field of study are the ones who write and edit Wikipedia (Maloy, p. 114).

The Internet is a dynamic teaching and learning medium with which teachers can facilitate learning, enhance comprehension and provide rich contextual learning environments for their students. Today, students are more familiar and adept with these technologies, so teachers need to take advantage of these student skills to rethink teaching as a collaborative journey. We, as teachers can provide guidelines and pathways for students to learn more about technologies.

References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #C- Ch. 3. Transforming Learning with Unique, Powerful Technology

In this chapter, I learned how teachers and students can use computer technologies at school to transform education. Technology provides opportunities for students to learn and think more critically, develop their creativity, and solve problems.

http://prezi.com/jsqwp5oj68g2/transforming-learning-with-unique-powerful-technology/#


References:

Maloy, R., Verock-O’Loughlin, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #B- Ch. 2. Understanding Educational Technology and Trends

Technology is rapidly changing, and it is the future for education. As a teacher I have to learn how to incorporate those innovative digital tools to help the students engage in their learning, and help them grow academically.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are tools that include practically everything we can find in a computer in a virtual way (Maloy, pg. 24). It is practically what parts make up a computer, such as the software or the processor; what we can connect to the computer, such as the printer; and the accesses we have on a computer, such as the internet. The ICTs can be helpful tools in the students’ education. Students can learn how they work, learn how to use them, and interact with them. The following mind map, presents three advantages of ICTs tools.

 

Using Tech to Enhance Teaching is another concept that interested me while reading chapter 2. Technology tools, such as computers, helps teacher to enhance in their way of teaching, especially in two aspects that Maloy addresses: instructional practices and administrative/professional activities (pg. 29, 30). Instructional practices are referred to the methods that teacher use to interact with the students. While administrative/professional activities are what the teachers need to do to support the students like the planning, organization, and recordkeeping of their activities. The administrative/professional activities are what come before the instructional practices. It is amazing know that as a teacher, we can also take advantage of technology and use it for many things. For example, for lesson planning, professional communication (with parents and students, also), and keep students’ information.

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). These are the standards presented by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), with the purpose of taking advantage of the use of technology in education. Technology makes learning more possible, and also states that the role of schools is to teach academically, promote creative thinking, and prepare students for the future digital life. With the use of technology it is easier for teacher to teach outside of the classroom, such as online classes. Technology is beneficial for those kinesthetic learning students because they can interact directly with it.

The technological advances are really helpful for teachers in order to incorporate them in the classroom. Technological tools enhance the students' education by having them to interact creatively. Teachers can use in different ways to improve the way they teach, to present their lessons, work, or to communicate professionally. Technology allows students to develop their academic knowledge, and helps them to join in a new digital era.

References:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Badge #A- Ch. 1. Becoming an e-Teacher

Concepts to reflect upon

1)      Use of technology in the classroom. Technology is all around us, and it has become a useful tool in learning. Technology is a tool designed to help us solve problems and extend our capabilities. With the use of technology I, as a teacher, would like my students to explore more and learn more. Technology has already positively impacted the classroom and the productivity of students. When technology integration in the classroom is seamless and thoughtful, students not only become more engaged, they begin to take more control over their own learning, too.  I want to learn more on how to effectively se technology in the classroom and lead my students to a better learning.

2)      Use technology to develop lessons and engage students. Today’s teachers can use technology to plan their lessons; for it, teachers found it to be more accurate, timely, and interesting. However, the most interesting thing is that technology can also be a powerful tool to engage students. I want to incorporate technology in my teaching because I believe that it will help me to use my time more effectively, it is more accurate, and to engage my students in learning in more exciting ways. Technology allows students to explore more, gain more knowledge, and help them to be more creative. I would look for ways to embrace technology in the classroom, and engage the students in learning. I believe that as a teacher, I need to teach student how to also use technology appropriately in an effective way.

3)      Highly interactive, inquiry-based learning. Highly interactive means providing educational activities where the teachers and students can create, shape, and evaluate the information that technology presets. And inquiry-based means that the teachers prepare, deliver, and evaluate lessons while the students learn critically and creatively. I want to learn more about this concept, and how to effectively incorporate it in the classroom.

Technology is a great and helpful tool in today’s learning. Teachers can incorporate new technology in their classrooms to increment the students’ interest in learning. I want to learn more about these three concepts, so I can apply them in my teaching and lead the student to a better education.

Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.