The journey continues

Since beginning my technology journey I feel I have learned a great deal.  I feel I am prepared to tackle new and exciting technology tools available today.  In the past, I was hesitant to allow my students to utilize these tools because I didn't feel I was prepared to help them if they needed it.  Now, I realize that if I try something and get stuck it is okay because there are multiple resources available on the web to educate me about that specific tool. 

My greatest growth has been with social networking.  I have created a twitter account and have encouraged many teachers in my building to create one so that we can communicate with each other.  I have also used twitter to follow a few pages that are related to the education field and others that update me on educational blogs.  This process has been very enjoyable and I hope in the future it will be a quick and effective way to communicate with educators all around the world. 

Before beginning this technology class, I am almost embarrassed to say that I had no idea that iste.nets for teachers or students existed.  Knowing this information has really motivated me to strive to use more technology in my classroom so I can better prepare my students for the real world.  I now plan to help my students learn content information while becoming more efficient with technology. 

Encouraging my colleagues to jump on the technology train.

To encourage my colleagues to engage in ongoing development in terms of technology integration I will begin using it in my classroom first.  I will gage my instruction to learn what students are interested in and what helps to motivate them.  Many of the teachers in my school are motivated by data so I will offer a pre - test for whatever content I'm using the technology to help teach and then I will offer a post-test.  If results are in favor of using technology I will present this to my staff and encourage them try similar lessons.  I really believe if I can show the staff how much students enjoy technology and engage in technology lessons they will begin to integrate this in their class.  I will also share with my teachers how important technology integration is for our 21st century learners. 

I can serve as a teacher leader for technology by first modeling technology in my classroom.  I plan to share lessons I create through technology with other colleagues in my subject area.   I will also make myself available to answer questions and alleviate concerns.  This week I decided to begin using twitter to connect with other educators around the world.  I believe with me getting started with this technology and being able to share what I learn will also help me serve as a leader.  Technology is a fearful area for many educators, but being a leader I will take the risk of using new areas of technology in my classroom.  I will also introduce them to personal learning networks so they can find others with similar interests and concerns.  In the end I hope to help educators see how the benefits will outweigh our fears. 

The tool I would use to facilitate training would first be a blog within our school community or even individual departments. This would help teachers begin to use technology first hand while reflecting on successes, concerns and fears with each other.  As teachers become more familiar with blogging I would motivate them to begin a new blog that is geared toward their students or family.  I would also encourage teachers to stay connected with each other through their blogs by sharing lessons they have created with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or any other useful tools.

Internet technology concerns

This week I realize there are a lot of new and exciting technology options on the Internet that I would love to introduce into my classroom.  As I prepare to use more Internet technologies in my classroom there are a few concerns that come to mind.  First, I wonder how prepared I am to help navigate my students in the right direction.  Though I feel I am a digital native, I have not done a great job of staying current on the newest Internet resources available.  Technology is always changing so I fear what I teach my students may actually be outdated.  Secondly, I fear that my students may begin to use the Internet in ways other than intended.  I want them to feel free to explore and learn in a way that is best suited for them.  However, I also realize that guidelines need to be set.  Lastly, I fear that with so much technology being introduced how sure can I be that schools will be able to keep up with the demand. 

There are many ways to alleviate these fears.  I realize that I can't expect myself to know everything that is available right now.  I just have to be open and willing to learn new things.  I have to put myself in a position where I will prepared to learn.  Many times I feel time is a huge hindrance in my life, but allowing myself to stay open and take time to learn new things I can be better prepared and feel more confident in teaching my students new things.  In the process of introducing my students new things, I realize that teaching and reteaching Internet expectations are important.  I feel these skills will be just as critical as teaching any other expectation.  If students know what is expected at all times then I think I can alleviate my fear somewhat of them misusing Internet technology.  Lastly, in order to be sure Internet technology is available for my students I will need to plan ahead and ensure websites are not blocked.  I will also need to keep the lines of communication open with my technology coordinator.  That way I can have a heads up regarding new things, available things and Internet technology that is not available.

Though the amount of concerns I feel seem enormous, I feel the learning my students will have outweigh my fears.  Therefore, I have motivation and determination to work towards making myself aware of more things and being flexible enough within my classroom to allow learning, mistakes and relearning to take place. 

Software Usage

I love technology and my school district provides teacher computers with updated software.  As a teacher I mainly use Power Teacher to take attendance, keep a running track of grades and find useful information regarding my students.  I also use Microsoft Word to create handouts, worksheets, and anything else that requires a professional appearance.  I use PowerPoint for presentations to staff and students as well as YouTube and the Internet to find helpful material to use in the classroom.  My students use many of the above applications including READ 180 software provided by the school.

There are many software skills I would like to improve in order to increase my professional efficacy.  Learning how to use Microsoft Publisher would be very beneficial.  There are so many templates available within the program.  Microsoft Excel is another important program, I know how to use it to input data, but I am definitely not familiar with the formulas and everything else. 

This year writing has been a focus in my school and I'm sure students are overwhelmed with pressure from the school district.  Therefore, I thought creating a monthly newsletter or a monthly report to parents discussing what strategies we are using in the classroom and perhaps include a chart to help parents and students track their growth. 

To do this I will use a newsletter template from Microsoft Publisher.  I plan to research tutorial information on the Internet, consult the Technology Coordinator in my building and other teachers that create newsletters.  Hopefully in January I will be able to begin my project.  I hope students will be able to use the information to understand their strengths and weaknesses in writing. 

Teaching 21st century skills

Keeping up with our ever- changing world and skills has forced more teachers to restructure the classroom and better prepare our students.   With many of the new approaches to teaching, I feel I am equipped to teach 21st century learning.   I am already encouraging my students to become critical thinkers, while discussing themes or issues within the classroom.  Collaboration is another skill I have already incorporated into my classroom.  Students know they are expected to not only collaborate but also provide meaningful contributions to the group.  I feel equally prepared to incorporate technology into my classroom.  Students are expected to learn new programs.  After this week, I plan to find ways to ensure students are able to connect the programs and content learning to situations outside of school. 

Students in my classroom are more prepared to have success utilizing 21st century skills as they leave.  However, I do not feel students are as prepared as they should be.  With shortened class periods and standards that must be taught, sometimes the skills being used are not conducive to 21st century skills.  In my ideal world, I would have a balance that provides me with enough time to do it all.  As I continue on my journey, I hope to find ways to achieve success with this issue.

Reflecting on my classroom this year, I would say I have experienced success while teaching students to become problem solvers.  Many students have not been exposed to higher order thinking and become frustrated with questions that do not involve basic comprehension.  I even had one student tell me he does not want to think or conclude what the answer is, it should just be given.  Of course we had a class discussion on how this applied to his life in general! 

While I encourage students to become critical thinkers, it is an ongoing process.  I feel I have had some success because I can see their growth.  My students are required to complete literary analysis throughout the semester.  At the beginning of the year the students did not possess the skills to think about themes or ideas critically.  After working with my students, writing and re-writing I have seen improvement.  The challenge is even with improvement they are far from being able to apply this skill without proper guidance.  I also feel limited resources with technology hinders student's learning. With many websites blocked for students such as; YouTube, blogs and many images, students are unable to fully learn what the entire Internet has to offer.  Especially students that are unable to afford computers or Internet in their home.    

The beginning...

As I begin reflecting on the use of technology in my school and my classroom I cannot deny there is much work to be done.  My school system does provide updated computers and Microsoft applications for students to utilize.  However, I realize I have missed the mark at meeting the NETS for teachers standards.  I try to include technology into my curriculum, but I realize I am still not truly preparing my students.  My activities are usually tailored for the classroom and students may not see how this transfers into the real-world.  I also have not provided my students with a learning experience that allows for their individual growth within technology.   There are many things I can change to help my students. 

There are many barriers to technology use in my school.  To begin, I only have five computers in my classroom.  I'm grateful to have these computers but it really limits what I can do with my students in regards to technology.  I have to be very creative in finding time to rotate all students through the computers.  The economic situation within my community is another barrier for technology.  We are not offered laptops with video cameras for every student or even simple things such as scanners for students to use.  Lastly, many websites that could be used to collaborate with students and others are blocked.

While beginning this journey through technology I will not allow fear to rule me.  There are many web applications that I am unfamiliar with, but as I focus on the directive "fear not" I am determined to embrace them.  I plan to take this technology journey as an opportunity to learn new things by challenging myself.  I will not be afraid to make mistakes or present new activities to my students.  I know that God has everything in control and I know he will give me wisdom and peace to overcome fear and learn more about technology.

As I continue through my technology class I hope to learn a variety of ways I can begin incorporating technology into my classroom.  There are many new programs available and I want my students to have the opportunity to learn them while growing through assessments and projects.  Another goal is to learn new technology that I can present to my co-workers, so students have more opportunities to develop technology skills.