In entering the technology course for classroom teachers I knew I lacked the tools to use a significant amount of technology in my classroom. However, the course introduced me to some tools I could use without needing additional technology. It was also interesting to spend time investigating the 21st Century work skills which can be practiced in a classroom even without a lot of technology. While I have always been one to use a significant amount of collaboration and group work in my classes, I have found ways to enhance that through the use of technologies such as the blog or the wiki. Beyond these I was also introduced for the first time to the podcast and wikis. Through the introduction to these technologies I have found ways to incorporate these into collaboration I already use. So I have developed new skills using these technologies which I believe I can in turn use with the students in my classes.
As previously stated, I believe I have always been effective at playing the role of the facilitator and allowing the students to be engaged in their learning. This course has solidified the concept of the teacher as a facilitator. It has also given me tools and techniques to become a more effective and efficient facilitator. I have always wondered about those who seem so teacher driven in their classrooms, however, in reading the ideas of others it seems like this exists everywhere. My perspective was reinforced by the assignments and readings which alluded to the strengths in having a learner centered classroom environment. The course has also established a core of ideas for me to continue to learn from. Moving forward I will look for activities incorporating wikis and other technologies in the classroom. I believe these tools can be used to expand on student learning by taking lessons and allowing them to carryover outside the classroom as well as by having a forum for students to gain knowledge before entering class, allowing for a more in depth lesson in the classroom. It also allows for the enhancement of the 21st Century work skills of group collaboration and project based learning.
The skills taught in the course will allow me to set some new goals for my own teaching. One long range goal I have is to create a lesson which in collaborative in nature, but requires some of the students to do their collaborating on a wiki so the collaboration can be evaluated. This assignment would span over a several week span, and it would be integrated with other lessons continuing in class. This would be different than the typical group assignment where the time is provided on consecutive days. This would also be different in that the collaboration could be incorporated into the grade because of the use of a wiki, in which the instructor could view all group collaboration.
A second goal would be the creation of a class blog in which students are required to post three times per trimester and respond to at least three other students. This would allow for students to share their knowledge in a way that others could see. It also allows students to evaluate the ideas of their classmates in a structured manner which could be followed by the teacher. In order for this to work some class time will need to be given in order for insurance that students have an equal opportunity to complete the assignment. However, the class time can be narrowed by making the requirement over a more lengthy period of time in which the students as able to access computers through the after school lab, at a friend’s house, or somewhere in the community such as the public library.
In reflecting on all the themes and topics of the course, the initial one of “doing something different as opposed to doing the same thing differently,” is the one which has stuck with me the most. So many who believe they are using technology are really not creating anything knew for their students and are instead supplementing a blackboard with a PowerPoint presentation. It really sets up all the rest of the course as it changes your focus. It eliminates a lot of things as simply doing the same thing over and over just in a different way. True teacher facilitated, student engaged learning comes from doing things in a way different from the way they have been traditionally done. This is the true change I believe we will all take away from the course. It is a fundamental change in the way teachers think. Each will incorporate it in a way that is suitable for them. However, I believe this is the underlying theme that will forever change the way we think about technology, traditional teaching roles and education in general.
Rob Killips
