Looking Back
When I signed up for this course I honestly thought we would just learning things that we already knew. Many of the course I have already taken at Dominican are repetitive so I didn't have high expectations for learning new things. To my surprise every week I learned something new! It was great to learn new technology tools and see what other students know as well. I have so many takeaways from this course and truly feel like I not only got something out of the class, but useful things that I can use in my future classroom. I will definitely be keeping up with my website and continue to blog. I found both to a lot of fun and a great way to share thoughts and ideas with others!
What I Learned:
My viewpoints on technology changed and how technology can be used in the classroom. Some things I learned and loved were:
- Blogging
- Professional Learning Network
- Using Twitter (I was resistant at first)
- Building a website for my professional web presence (This was my favorite! I felt like I got to get creative and show who I am.)
- Learning new apps
- I learned about trends in educational technology,
- I also got to learn about digital mapping.
- I learned about data mining and the importance of teaching students to be mindful of what they are putting online.
- Lastly, I learned that technology is a great tool that can be used to help teach students as well as differentiate instruction as well. We also need to be careful to teach students about the internet and how to responsibly use it.
Technology viewpoint:
My viewpoint on technology definitely changed throughout this course. I went from thinking I knew what I liked and was comfortable with where I was with technology to learning so many new ways to implement technology not only into my classroom, but also with other teachers and staff as well. I feel more equipped going into a classroom and using new tools that I have learned from this class. I was naive to think that I knew everything I needed to know and that there was nothing else for me to learn. This was a great class that opened a lot of new doors!
What stood out to me:
Each week always brought something new for me. Learning about TPACK and how inclusive it is for students and engaging it can be will be something I look back on for future use. I again, I loved making the professional website. I found it to be fun and engaging and something I can continue to use and update throughout my career. Lastly, I enjoyed using padlet. I liked getting to work with a partner and use the site to collaborate on the assignment. I think this is something great that students can use to work together and create class projects or assignments with.
Thank you to everyone for making this class great and teaching me something new each week! It has been great getting to know everyone and good luck on your journey!
