Reflection

Learning about how to integrate technology more into the classroom has been very enlightening. In this course, I have learned more about using Wikis, blogs and podcasts in my classroom. I am very excited to implement these Web 2.0 tools into my classroom this upcoming year. I know my students will be thrilled to do more project based learning while integrating technology into the curriculum.

Through this technology course I have deepened my understanding of 21^st century learning. I have learned how the seven Cs (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, cross-cultural understanding, communication, computing, and career & learning self-reliance) are essential skills our students must do successfully to be competitive in the workforce (Trilling, 2005). Of course the core curriculum of reading, writing and mathematics are essential, but we must go much further than these basic skills.  When doing this, it is important to move away from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered classroom. As instructors, we need to be facilitators more than being traditional teachers. We do not have to know all of the answers, but we must collaborate with our students and teach them how to find answers. We truly need to be in a classroom where everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student.

I am really looking forward to expanding my knowledge and transforming my classroom to more student-centered room where students are truly learning essential 21^st century skills. One goal I have is to be part of the district technology committee where I can be part of systematic policies and changes. I would like to work on allowing student equipment in schools as a way to get technology to our students. Another goal I have is to integrate technology more in project-based learning lessons in my classroom. I want to start to use Wikis as a collaborative tool. I also intend to have a classroom blog and use podcasts. Referring back to the checklist of technology usage in our classroom from the beginning of the course, I hope to have many more activities in the often category. I want to expand my usage of technology and give the students more chances to explore and learn. I intend to continually improve myself and learn more ways to integrate technology into the classroom. I am confident I am on the path to really help my students be 21^st century learners. I am excited for these changes and I know my students are going to really enjoy them as well.

References

Trilling, B. (2005). Towards learning societies and the global challenges for learning withICT.TechForum. Retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/events/techforum/ny05/program