Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Reflection

The learning activity during week 6 and 7 was to create a learning activity which included technology and implemented it accordingly. It allowed me to demonstrate what I have learned in this course. I was able to create a lesson that I could easily integrate into my classroom.

In my classroom I will begin to incorporate what I have learned in this course. I think the biggest things I have learned are the 4 change agents. These change agents are democratization of knowledge, participatory learning, authentic learning, and multimodal learning. Through learning about these agents I have been able to see the positive effects that technology has in the classroom.

I will allow my students more time to research their topics and I will act as the facilitator. Through exploration, students will be able to engage in authentic learning. These are 21st century skills that students will need in order to solve problems later as they progress in school. I will begin to use more technology tools as well as online learning modules to help my students understand the curriculum better.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Emergent Technology

http://emergent-technology.wikispaces.com/

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Reflection EDUC 6414

My experience with my social networking group was a positive one. Through the collaboration of ideas and resources I found a lot of helpful information as I was looking at UDL and DI strategies. It was a great way to get feedback on what I was working on. I also liked being able to chat with my group and get instant advice on the project we were working on.

I will use all of the various resources that were shared through the social network to help me implement the principles of UDL and DI. Many of the resources gave examples of how to incorporate the practices. Also, there were examples of lessons in many of the resources that showed how to thoughtfully integrate these principles.

At this point in the year I will adjust my current thinking about differentiating instruction in technology. I had not thought in the past that technology was one area that needed to be differentiated but after reading the resources and talking with others in my group it is essential so that my students get the most out of what is being presented in class. Especially in an area such as technology, children need the freedom to express themselves creatively in their own special way. Some children have limitations which also means that technology and the curriculum need to be modified in order for them to perform to the best of their ability.

I plan to integrate more technology into my curriculum as a result of this course. Allowing students to explore while I act as a facilitator gives them ownership and the ability to take learning into their own hands.