Reflection Response

• In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?
• This course has given me the opportunity to explore different areas of technology, in doing so I am able to better understand my students and their desire for technology based academics. I now understand what a blog, wiki, RSS, podcast and what Google reader is capable of doing. These a all things I have heard of before but never took the time to figure out how to use them. Now that I know how to use them I am able to teach students and staff in my school how to use them.
  


• In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?
• I feel I have a new way to look at how material is presented and evaluated. The changes in technology need to reflect the changes in our teaching, these changes are present in each of our students.
  
  
• In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?
  
• I have been giving my students the opportunity to explain to me how they want to prove their learning. I have some students that write better than others and some that are better with the computer. Instead of having every student give me the information in the same way they are now allowed to choose how they present their information.
  
  
• In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?
  I believe I need to continue to ask the questions, my learning will only continue if I ask how and what when dealing with new technology. I have keep myself up to date with the new technology and have discussions with the school and district staff to increase the desire to teach these technologies in my classroom. By looking for other classes that focus on teaching 21 century skills I will do a better job teaching these to may students.
  
• 
  
• Set two long-term goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?

The first goal I an setting is to use blogs in my classroom for journaling, read aloud responses and book group discussions. Because we do this everyday in the regular journals this will give my students daily practice on the computer.
My second goal is to be a life long learning in the area a technology. I will be looking for other classes I can take to help me better understand 21 century skills. With this information I will educate staff at my school.