Reflection on EDLD 5352

I envisioned that I would look at ways to integrate technology into classrooms. I hoped that I would learn about different ways that the students would be able to use technology. I thought that I was computer savvy. I can make my way around a computer and believe that I did not believe that I had much to learn when it came to this. I was wrong. I have learned many things in this class. I have been given new ways to integrate technology into our core subjects. I have looked at new ways for students to learn using technology. The course outcomes did align with what I envisioned. This course has taught me many things that I did not know I even wanted to learn. This class has opened my eyes to new ways of doing things. It has also helped me to see that there are rules and regulations that I did not know were out there.
The course outcomes for me are very relevant. They apply to exactly what I do on a daily basis. I work with teachers to help them to integrate technology in their everyday classrooms. I did not know what went into the Long Range Plan or why we did the STaR Chart. Now I can implement these things and work with teachers to help them to understand what their requirements are. I am already helping teachers to realize the digital age is here and it is not going anywhere, so they are going to have to embrace it. I use our data system, Aware, daily and help the teachers to read that data and to make decisions based on that data.
I believe that I achieved all of the outcomes for the class. I may not have dealt with all of them in very much depth, but I do feel that I touched on all of them at one point in this class. I would have to say that I did get to make decision about technology only because those decisions have already been made for us for the year. Everything has already been purchased or the funds have been allocated. Many of these outcomes go hand in hand with each other. Many of these I already do on a daily basis in the job that I have.
I was able to complete all of my assignments. The assignments were very time consuming. You had to make sure that you were keeping up, because there were things that you needed from your district and I had to make sure I got those before the Thanksgiving break or before doing the assignment. I feel that everything was not as clear as it could have been. Many times I had to ask questions of classmates to make sure that I understood what was being asked of us. Many of the things that were on the course did not match what the weekly e-mails stated. There was not a lot of clarification on things and so the assignments were not as clear as they have been in the past.
I learned more that I thought that I would. I learned how to do a blog. I am really excited about this. I learned ways that our students could use them to learn outside of school. I learned about the Long Range Plan and how it is going to work and why we were doing some of the things that we were as a district. I learned about the STaR Chart. We have always been told to do it, but have never looked at the results. It was good to learn, so that now I can teach why we have these things and what they are used for.
Blogs are so cool. I have had friend that had them for their family, but never really thought of using them in the classroom. I believe that this could open our eyes to so many things. Blogs can be used for communicating with teachers, authors, or other students from all over. The education that our kids could get from talking to other students about things that they are doing is priceless. That is more than we could ever give them in our small little school. Blogs are the way of the future for our student to communicate with others. It is also a good way to keep parents involved in what the kids are learning and taking part in their education.
Blogs can be dangerous as much as educational. We do have to monitor what is going on with our students. You can get people that do not belong, that post things that are not appropriate. You can get views that you did not want to expose your students to. Discussions can be started that you did not want to be there that are not appropriate. You can have parents that over step their boundaries if you allow them access. You just have to be careful and teach. All of these things can be taken care of if you set your expectations and teach your students the ethics of the internet.
Stakeholders are so important to education, from the administration to the students to their parents. Blogging can be so useful when you want to keep your parents informed in their child’s education. You can allow all stakeholders access to see what you are talking about in class. You can have them respond with different views from outside of school. You can allow them to communicate with you and your students by commenting on what is happening or the subject you are talking about. You can also just communicate with them all at one time, by blogging what is happening and what your class is doing.