Final Reflection
Final Reflection-Aimee Bianco
1. What skills, topics, or other aspects of this course did you personally find valuable and useful?
*I found this course to be extremely challenging and beneficial. The technology skills I developed through building my website have been truly useful to me as an educator. I have learned about so many new applications and how to utilize them in the instructional setting. The new tools I have selected as my favorites include Flipgrid, Quizizz, and the various sites (like Edpuzzle) for creating interactive videos. I can honestly say that the interactive video experience is probably my favorite new instructional tool in my toolbox. So cool! I also particularly enjoyed learning how to become more proficient with launching lessons to motivate and engage students. It is refreshing to know that there is still great support and demand for a catchy anticipatory set. Hooking our kiddos and getting them started on various learning adventures can be a challenge. However, the ideas shared in this course on launching lessons is a great start to conquering that challenge! In addition, creating the online activity was very exciting for me. I appreciated the opportunity to think about and reassess my strategies and methods for teaching in an online environment…should we ever have to venture down that road again.
2. What skills, knowledge and attitudes did you learn or practice as a result of developing your course website that were beyond the objectives for individual assignments?
*This course is the perfect example of learning through doing! When I started this journey, I was completely lost. I didn’t know how in the world I was going to build a website. This was indeed my road not taken! I had to learn through hands-on experiences and through the process of doing. These are the types of experiences we want and need for our kiddos. We want our students to learn through exploration and experience…and not through hand holding and dictating every single activity and decision being made during the learning process. I think that this experience is one that I will always remember when planning lessons and instructional activities for my students. In addition, I have experienced a change of heart as related to utilizing and implementing technology in the classroom. My mindset has shifted since I have seen how technology can truly be a transforming experience when infused correctly and meaningfully. Enhance used to be my key word…my key word now is transform. I would also like to add how much I appreciated the collaborative piece of this course. It is often difficult to complete a course with peers that you never get to see…but this course allowed me the opportunity to see and hear my peers. Collaboration is essential!
3.How have any of the assignments changed the way you think about teaching with technology?
*As stated above, transform is my new key word. I have always tried to incorporate technology in my classroom lessons and sessions…and in some cases have been forced to include technology in my lessons and sessions simply because that was what administration wanted to see. I found myself looking for and searching for ways to make technology “fit”. Now, I can honestly say that I have a better knowledge of how to implement technology to truly make the learning experience more personal and meaningful for my students. In addition, the assignments related to evaluating technology tools and applications will be used by me on a regular basis. We all have a habit of finding applications that we think our students will love…but we sometimes don’t dig deep enough to ensure that those applications are meeting the content, cognitive, and pedagogical needs of our students. Technology and its applications must be aligned with instruction…just as paper-pencil activities and other hands-on activities must be aligned.
4. What do you plan to do in the near future to continue learning more about the things in this course that sparked your interest?
*As an educator, it is essential that we keep our tools nice, shiny, and relevant. After the completion of this course, I will continue to seek out professional development opportunities to keep my new learnings up to date in an effort to provide the most meaningful, transforming learning experiences possible for my kiddos. In addition, I plan to share my learnings from this course with my colleagues and peers through some professional development sessions of my own. We have learned so much…why not share? I also intend on keeping my website updated and running in order to share essential information with students, parents, peers, administration, etc.
1. What skills, topics, or other aspects of this course did you personally find valuable and useful?
*I found this course to be extremely challenging and beneficial. The technology skills I developed through building my website have been truly useful to me as an educator. I have learned about so many new applications and how to utilize them in the instructional setting. The new tools I have selected as my favorites include Flipgrid, Quizizz, and the various sites (like Edpuzzle) for creating interactive videos. I can honestly say that the interactive video experience is probably my favorite new instructional tool in my toolbox. So cool! I also particularly enjoyed learning how to become more proficient with launching lessons to motivate and engage students. It is refreshing to know that there is still great support and demand for a catchy anticipatory set. Hooking our kiddos and getting them started on various learning adventures can be a challenge. However, the ideas shared in this course on launching lessons is a great start to conquering that challenge! In addition, creating the online activity was very exciting for me. I appreciated the opportunity to think about and reassess my strategies and methods for teaching in an online environment…should we ever have to venture down that road again.
2. What skills, knowledge and attitudes did you learn or practice as a result of developing your course website that were beyond the objectives for individual assignments?
*This course is the perfect example of learning through doing! When I started this journey, I was completely lost. I didn’t know how in the world I was going to build a website. This was indeed my road not taken! I had to learn through hands-on experiences and through the process of doing. These are the types of experiences we want and need for our kiddos. We want our students to learn through exploration and experience…and not through hand holding and dictating every single activity and decision being made during the learning process. I think that this experience is one that I will always remember when planning lessons and instructional activities for my students. In addition, I have experienced a change of heart as related to utilizing and implementing technology in the classroom. My mindset has shifted since I have seen how technology can truly be a transforming experience when infused correctly and meaningfully. Enhance used to be my key word…my key word now is transform. I would also like to add how much I appreciated the collaborative piece of this course. It is often difficult to complete a course with peers that you never get to see…but this course allowed me the opportunity to see and hear my peers. Collaboration is essential!
3.How have any of the assignments changed the way you think about teaching with technology?
*As stated above, transform is my new key word. I have always tried to incorporate technology in my classroom lessons and sessions…and in some cases have been forced to include technology in my lessons and sessions simply because that was what administration wanted to see. I found myself looking for and searching for ways to make technology “fit”. Now, I can honestly say that I have a better knowledge of how to implement technology to truly make the learning experience more personal and meaningful for my students. In addition, the assignments related to evaluating technology tools and applications will be used by me on a regular basis. We all have a habit of finding applications that we think our students will love…but we sometimes don’t dig deep enough to ensure that those applications are meeting the content, cognitive, and pedagogical needs of our students. Technology and its applications must be aligned with instruction…just as paper-pencil activities and other hands-on activities must be aligned.
4. What do you plan to do in the near future to continue learning more about the things in this course that sparked your interest?
*As an educator, it is essential that we keep our tools nice, shiny, and relevant. After the completion of this course, I will continue to seek out professional development opportunities to keep my new learnings up to date in an effort to provide the most meaningful, transforming learning experiences possible for my kiddos. In addition, I plan to share my learnings from this course with my colleagues and peers through some professional development sessions of my own. We have learned so much…why not share? I also intend on keeping my website updated and running in order to share essential information with students, parents, peers, administration, etc.
