A Time of Reflection

As I am finishing up my course, Impact of Technology on Education, Work and Society, I want to take a moment to consider the effect that learning about technology has had on my own education and work. Prior to this course I had never created a blog, never visited a wiki or helped create one, never made a podcast or even taken the time to listen to one. I can now say that I have accomplished all of these activities. I have learned to consider ways that technology can change my classroom to do things differently rather than just do different things. For example, instead of replacing a white board with a Smartboard for the same notes, I can use the Smartboard to allow students to come and manipulate the materials.  As a teacher I need to utilize technology for collaboration among students and allow students to find answers and create solutions themselves rather than just delivering information to them.

I have learned that when students are working for an audience, such that the internet can provide through blogs, wikis and podcasts, the level of performance improves. Students may not be willing to put forth their best effort for a teacher, but if they know the entire world can access what they are doing they will do a better job. To expand my teaching and leading with technology I would like to continue with this theme of giving students an audience to perform for. Rather than have students hand in assignments to me, I would like for them to present their answers to their peers, and to work together to solve problems. By continuing to try new methods, groupings, and technology I will become more experienced as a teacher and thus expand my learning. I would like to continue to follow the blogs of other high school math and special education teachers to see what ideas they are using. Especially with the Common Core standards that are approaching my grade level, I can use ideas from teachers all over the country rather than just my building.

Within the next two years I will be teaching the Common Core standards, as well as be using a new format of assessment which requires more writing and justification in math. I would like to utilize a blog site in my classroom where students will have assignments that they have to explain (in writing) how they have come up with their math solutions. These blog postings will help prepare them for the upcoming assessment that will require such skills, and provide an audience for them to write for.  At present all blog sites are blocked at our school, so I will have to overcome that administrative obstacle. I will also need to obtain more technology options in my classroom. We currently allow students to use their smartphones in class, but I cannot expect all students to have that technology. Additionally, our school has several carts of IPads and laptops I am able to check out to my classroom, but if I had my own class set of either, my blog site idea would be easier to implement.

Another goal I have is to begin using the TNspires our math department already has. This is a technology I have only dabbled in, and would like to become more proficient with. Students enjoy using them, and it provides immediate feedback to the teacher. I would like to be using these tools at least once a week within the next two years.

Two areas I have improved on while taking this course are designing learning experiences that require students to formulate questions for inquiry and engage in real-world problem-solving activities; and modeling reflective practices and engaging students in activities that promote self-reflection and self-examination of their own learning.

Through the STEM initiative at our school I have been able to spend time with teachers collaborating on ways to engage students in real –world problem solving activities such as finding the height of several poles and trees on our school property, and many real life word problems involving quadratics and exponential growth/decay.

To encourage students to self-reflect on their learning I have used summarizing techniques such as having students explain how to solve a problem in writing, having students tell which part of the math they do not understand, or understand very well, and by having students hold up the number of fingers ranking how comfortable they feel with the lesson. 

I look forward to seeing where I will be at the end of 2013 after I have completed my entire coursework and see how proficient I will be with using technology in my classroom then.