Reflection

As this class comes to a close, I am amazed and a bit overwhelmed at the things I have learned. Essentially, my personal learning theory has not changed from Week 1; however, the tools I use to implement these theories have changed. I have always been one to disagree with the thought of subscribing to just one theory. Most teachers, if they are honest, use a mixture of all the theories. Yes, I do use Behaviorism at times. Personally, I learn best by Cognitive strategies. This generation will be better reached using Social and Constructionist theories; however, it does not mean that the rest of the theories need to be disregarded. Students are all very different and unique and to reach them all we must be willing to integrate and overlap all theories. In a nutshell...whatever works.

The overwhelming feeling I have as we reach the end of the class is how to make the adjustments I need to make in order to integrate the new technological tools that I have learned. My initial impulse it to add it all at once. I am so excited about the new tools I have learned that I want to teach it ALL...NOW. I have to resist that urge and integrate slowly. To begin with I will definitely be using virtual field trips and VoiceThreads. I have made a list of the virtual field trips that meet the standards in my class and cannot wait to use them. I need to pace myself so as not to overuse them. VoiceThreads are also a new tool I will be using. We will be using these in many different ways. We can use them as a type of flow map for story summaries or as a problem solving tool. The virtual field trips will give students a visual representation and experience they may never be able to have otherwise. VoiceThreads enable students to collaborate and work together to create their own meaningful artifacts.

The two long term goal chages I would like to make to my instructional practice go hand in hand. I would like to integrate the technology into all subjects. Realizing, as I've said, that I need to pace myself, I will look unit by unit and add to what I already have in place. The lesson we created was good practice for this. I know I am not looking to reinvent the wheel, just seeking to make the wheel move smoother and more effectively. I have to be careful not to use technology for technology sake but to discover ways to integrate it into the curriculum that is already in place; thus, making it more successful and able to reach more students. The other goal I have is to use Social Learning techniques more frequently. I realize I need to give the students more time to work with each other and build their own learning. In the past, and depending upon the makeup of the particular class, this may be intimidating. To "let them loose" sometimes creates management issues. Realizing the importance of this is forcing me to make a goal in which I focus on this more.

This class provided tools that I think are necessary for the students of today. I'm excited to put them all in place.
Tonya