Reflective Essay- EDUC 6710

 

            This course has helped me develop as a professional because I am able to place my focus on the student learning process, rather than the importance of teaching. I have found resources and activities that will be helpful to use in my classroom to ensure growth and success in my students through the use of technology.

We need to see the world as it is today and build our vision on that, not root ourselves in the world as it was, one that is quickly disappearing (Richardson, 2015, p. 63).

As the face of education is changing, it is important to stay at the forefront of it to be able to expose students to the new realm of possibilities.

Integrating technology in the classroom environment promotes student engagement, independence, and eagerness for new discoveries. A standard that is set by the ISTE Standards for Education that I find very important is,

3b. Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency (ISTE Standards for Educators).

I have grown my knowledge with different resources that promote learning discoveries. To promote a 21st-century classroom, I need to adapt the curriculum into online activities that involve innovative thinking and real-life experiences (Osman, Hamid & Hassan, 2009). In my classroom, I do this by using interactive games and resources to support the lesson I taught in class. My students enjoy being able to practice their skills and further their knowledge by investigating information outside of the lesson taught.

         The Web 2.0 or social media tool that I am open to using in my classroom is the Wiki page for implementing a lesson. I found the my students enjoyed being able to navigate the lesson on their own. This developed a sense of independence as they took control of their learning process in order to be successful and complete the assignments and assessments. Wiki lessons are student-friendly and supply easy access to all of the material, resources, and assignments (Al-Shareef & Al-Qarni, 2016). The roadblock that I could face when implementing more Wiki lessons is that my students are beginner readers. I will not be able to put all of my directions in text form because my students will not have clear expectations set for them. To fix this problem, I can provide my students with podcasts on each page that reads through the directions and expectations. This tool provides the students with the responsibility of participating in the digital world, empowers learning, and a positive environment (ISTE Standards for Educators). Wiki lessons support the ISTE standards because the students are expected to investigate their learning on a digital platform. The Wiki lesson supplies the student with the opportunity to use the digital world to be successful in their learning process.

The first SMART goal I will set for myself is, I will use at least two virtual resources a week that continue the learning process for my students for a month. This is a good starting goal for me because each week, I have to focus on giving my students the opportunity to navigate resources at least twice. Once I have become comfortable with providing my students with two opportunities to use technology, I can up the number that I set for myself. After a while, my students will be provided with a learning environment that is student-centered and promotes self-discovery and navigation through their learning process. The second SMART goal I will set for myself is, I will provide my students with at least four at-home wiki lessons a month for the next year. This is a good goal for me because My school has Wednesday as at-home learning days. I can use these days to practice using my wiki page to support student learning and growth. I will be able to try new resources that are engaging to my students and allows them to develop their level of understanding.

The topics covered in this course aligns with the issues I want to challenge in my professional practice because as students start to use technology more and more in the outside world, they are developing skills and curiosities that could be used in an educational setting. The students in my classroom have grown up with a tablet or phone in their hands. I want to find engaging ways that students are able to use the skills that they have developed to navigate their learning environment. Through this course, I have been exposed to blogging, Twitter, wiki lessons, and podcasts that can all provide my students with an interactive learning environment. Right now in my classroom, I have started using technology more as a whole class activity, but I want to push myself as an educator to provide my students with more hands-on learning through the use of technology.


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