Final Reflection
Looking Back
Before taking these courses it seemed my undergraduate, my first year of teaching, and professional development pushed the idea of technology as this great tool for teaching and time saving but with many obstacles. Most teachers I noticed at professional developments are on pins and needles and ohhh and awing when some inspiring new tool is waved in front of them. Once the show is over by the speaker the bickering begins. There always excuses why they will never come close to bringing this new idea and teaching tool into their classroom. The first big kicker is money. The second is who is going to train us. Finally the third is this seems to time consuming to implement. It is like broken record when you leave the meetings and ease drop on people’s conversations or many will just tell you. This set of course has opened my mind and showed me a way to answer these questions for myself and hopefully share this with others.
Money seems to the biggest complaint when getting something new instituted in a school, especially when it is technology. What these courses has engrained in me to is to take advantage of what is out there already. Many applications that are high dollar usually have a sister software who makes a free version, trial, or some low cost knockoff. Like in life, money shouldn’t control what you want to do. Grants are out there and learning how to write and target the correct ones for your need is a huge concept that I took away from the class. It doesn’t seem that like schools financial settings are going to get any better, and relying on some spontaneous funding is just doing an injustice to the students. One down, two too go!
Training seems to be another comp out with technology integration for many teachers. What cracks me up is when I am at professional development and meetings and teachers get so flustered when a new program is being pushed on them and they are hesitant to jump on. I first noticed this with manditory grading and attendance programs. Teachers at school meetings, mostly veteran teachers getting frustrated to quickly and not looking past the initial stress to see what the future perks are. If these new programs weren’t forced onto them, I guarantee that many would not bother with it. They want to be trained which contradicts many of the teaching beliefs they have. Learning new applications the most effective is discovery through trial and error. It is the same philosophy that many teachers have for their teaching styles but when it comes to themselves and technology those ideas disappear. What I took away from this section of classes is that not being spoon fed forces you too be knowledgeable in the application but doesn’t allow you to understand it enough to see behind the black and white applications and use it for some personal innovative way. That check off two now!
Finding time to get familiar with a piece of technology and them finding additional time to generate lessons is a huge killer of technology integration. Being a first year technology was the farthest thing from my mind. Having five middle school preps was time consuming. I foresee that following years will open much more planning time for to introduce technology as seen fit. I want to plan it accordingly and not jump in and get the whole point of the initial technology integration way and less meaningful than prior methods. I think many teachers don’t see the cost/benefit when working with technology. Over the past month and half I have really been brought to the other side where the benefit is always worth the initial cost. I really understand the meaning of the quote, “that nothing worth while comes easy.” Easy as 1-2-3!
Another huge concept that I took away from this set of classes is how to identify and address misconceptions. The project that opened my eyes and I took away the most from was the understanding-understanding video. I never really had the notion or opportunity to examine students understanding of a concept or lack of. It never occurred to me that in concept driven subjects such as science preconceived notions or experiences are huge dictators in their mental processes. I know students don’t come to my class with a blank slate. What didn’t occur to me is how many students wanted to refer back to incorrect schemas when unsure of an explanation. I didn’t see the importance of refuting misconceptions when dealing with a new topic.
To get students to generate a correct understanding they need to be able to address why their previous knowledge created a false understanding. This has to be done with a meaningful experiences that will contradict their misconception. This is not a passive process. While doing the video understanding project I noticed how many people no matter their age had similar misunderstandings. This can only be caused by lack of engaging experiences that would refute the false sense knowing. I plan to make a habit to bring out misconceptions before a new topic is investigated and address them. We want students to build off of prior knowledge and if that is case misconceptions need to be brought forth.
Not only does it allow me to correct the understanding but most importantly generate and plan accordingly. It never came to my attention, which boggles my mind why my education classes in my undergraduate work didn’t address it, but planning for catching common misconceptions. I noticed myself and past teachers just quickly acknowledge a misconception by dismissing it for an incorrect response. That incorrect response may be a firmly held explanation and may be retained because it was addressed. It has to come down to planning for common misconceptions to make a more meaning experience so they can integrate that new understanding in their schema and addressing them forth when brought forth.
The final area of strong growth for me ties together with the understanding in the video project, discussions, and readings. The word LEARNING has taken on a new meaning for me. It’s not that I have been in the dark for while but the way I look at it has changed. Being a recent graduate from college, educational philosophy and psychology is common talk and gets pretty beat into your skull. I have heard more about discovery and inquiry more in the last four than any science concept. I always thought I would and currently was teaching in some sort of similar manner but am missing some of the key aspects that make it truly effective.
My whole life I seemed to the anti-psychologist because the stubborn empiricalist in me wants something concrete, but over the course of the last few years you once in awhile you read a required reading that actually has some significance and substance. The slowly changing the outlook I have toward educational psychology. The understanding and knowing articles and discussions did that for me during the summer. I know there was a difference between the two if you asked me but couldn’t give much of a tell tale explanation. I went home after one class and sat down with my brother a science teacher and my sister in law a elementary teacher about learning and how to get kids to understand. Basically, it was an argument over a card game that was inspired by Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader. What that card game we played addressed was knowing. It didn’t reflect understanding which my brother and I would use a crutch when we answered incorrect. He gave me this wise speech and said,” Knowing always you to answer questions you know, and understanding allows you answer questions you don’t know.” I thought that this was very wise at the time until the next day I was instructed to read article which said roughly the same context. So then I was stuck on how do you get students to know? The underlining area where I could agree with the readings, my brother, class discussions was getting students to see the importance of a particular and how has relation in their outside setting. In my own life I understand and feel confident in material that I deem meaningful or can relate to some aspect to my life that relevant. Understanding is not done passively and needs to be wanted.
Money seems to the biggest complaint when getting something new instituted in a school, especially when it is technology. What these courses has engrained in me to is to take advantage of what is out there already. Many applications that are high dollar usually have a sister software who makes a free version, trial, or some low cost knockoff. Like in life, money shouldn’t control what you want to do. Grants are out there and learning how to write and target the correct ones for your need is a huge concept that I took away from the class. It doesn’t seem that like schools financial settings are going to get any better, and relying on some spontaneous funding is just doing an injustice to the students. One down, two too go!
Training seems to be another comp out with technology integration for many teachers. What cracks me up is when I am at professional development and meetings and teachers get so flustered when a new program is being pushed on them and they are hesitant to jump on. I first noticed this with manditory grading and attendance programs. Teachers at school meetings, mostly veteran teachers getting frustrated to quickly and not looking past the initial stress to see what the future perks are. If these new programs weren’t forced onto them, I guarantee that many would not bother with it. They want to be trained which contradicts many of the teaching beliefs they have. Learning new applications the most effective is discovery through trial and error. It is the same philosophy that many teachers have for their teaching styles but when it comes to themselves and technology those ideas disappear. What I took away from this section of classes is that not being spoon fed forces you too be knowledgeable in the application but doesn’t allow you to understand it enough to see behind the black and white applications and use it for some personal innovative way. That check off two now!
Finding time to get familiar with a piece of technology and them finding additional time to generate lessons is a huge killer of technology integration. Being a first year technology was the farthest thing from my mind. Having five middle school preps was time consuming. I foresee that following years will open much more planning time for to introduce technology as seen fit. I want to plan it accordingly and not jump in and get the whole point of the initial technology integration way and less meaningful than prior methods. I think many teachers don’t see the cost/benefit when working with technology. Over the past month and half I have really been brought to the other side where the benefit is always worth the initial cost. I really understand the meaning of the quote, “that nothing worth while comes easy.” Easy as 1-2-3!
Another huge concept that I took away from this set of classes is how to identify and address misconceptions. The project that opened my eyes and I took away the most from was the understanding-understanding video. I never really had the notion or opportunity to examine students understanding of a concept or lack of. It never occurred to me that in concept driven subjects such as science preconceived notions or experiences are huge dictators in their mental processes. I know students don’t come to my class with a blank slate. What didn’t occur to me is how many students wanted to refer back to incorrect schemas when unsure of an explanation. I didn’t see the importance of refuting misconceptions when dealing with a new topic.
To get students to generate a correct understanding they need to be able to address why their previous knowledge created a false understanding. This has to be done with a meaningful experiences that will contradict their misconception. This is not a passive process. While doing the video understanding project I noticed how many people no matter their age had similar misunderstandings. This can only be caused by lack of engaging experiences that would refute the false sense knowing. I plan to make a habit to bring out misconceptions before a new topic is investigated and address them. We want students to build off of prior knowledge and if that is case misconceptions need to be brought forth.
Not only does it allow me to correct the understanding but most importantly generate and plan accordingly. It never came to my attention, which boggles my mind why my education classes in my undergraduate work didn’t address it, but planning for catching common misconceptions. I noticed myself and past teachers just quickly acknowledge a misconception by dismissing it for an incorrect response. That incorrect response may be a firmly held explanation and may be retained because it was addressed. It has to come down to planning for common misconceptions to make a more meaning experience so they can integrate that new understanding in their schema and addressing them forth when brought forth.
The final area of strong growth for me ties together with the understanding in the video project, discussions, and readings. The word LEARNING has taken on a new meaning for me. It’s not that I have been in the dark for while but the way I look at it has changed. Being a recent graduate from college, educational philosophy and psychology is common talk and gets pretty beat into your skull. I have heard more about discovery and inquiry more in the last four than any science concept. I always thought I would and currently was teaching in some sort of similar manner but am missing some of the key aspects that make it truly effective.
My whole life I seemed to the anti-psychologist because the stubborn empiricalist in me wants something concrete, but over the course of the last few years you once in awhile you read a required reading that actually has some significance and substance. The slowly changing the outlook I have toward educational psychology. The understanding and knowing articles and discussions did that for me during the summer. I know there was a difference between the two if you asked me but couldn’t give much of a tell tale explanation. I went home after one class and sat down with my brother a science teacher and my sister in law a elementary teacher about learning and how to get kids to understand. Basically, it was an argument over a card game that was inspired by Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader. What that card game we played addressed was knowing. It didn’t reflect understanding which my brother and I would use a crutch when we answered incorrect. He gave me this wise speech and said,” Knowing always you to answer questions you know, and understanding allows you answer questions you don’t know.” I thought that this was very wise at the time until the next day I was instructed to read article which said roughly the same context. So then I was stuck on how do you get students to know? The underlining area where I could agree with the readings, my brother, class discussions was getting students to see the importance of a particular and how has relation in their outside setting. In my own life I understand and feel confident in material that I deem meaningful or can relate to some aspect to my life that relevant. Understanding is not done passively and needs to be wanted.
Looking Foward
What makes envisioning the five years down the road slightly more difficult now than it did four months ago is knowing what I will be teaching in the fall if anything. The content specific material has no bearing on what resources I plan to use over this time the availability does. If the resources that are available at the school are going to be the kicker. I was spoiled with mobile lab station that I had to share between one other teacher. I will plan for the best.
Getting a firm jump on website was the first step in my plan because I hope to have them linked in some way to it. Which is in motion with my portfolio. It think it is important to have a location where students can retrieve resources if they were missing, need help, and planning ahead. I plan to maintain an up to date website. I will have to weigh out my options when I decide what software I will be continuing with. If the school provides space Dream Weaver will be the choice but if that is not supplied getting Weebly Pro will be answer. I like the flexibility of the online publishing programs because they don’t limit you to the location of the software. I want students to be able to use my website as hub for in and out of class work. Students will be able to access resources at home and best of all will give parents an opportunity to see what is happening in class. What I have noticed is that many parents are very helpful when they know a student has work to do, so many students eventually find it more convienent to not inform parents about what is going on in class. This is such case when it is time for tests. At parent teacher conferences parents wanted to know when tests were and important work was due. As hard as I tried to be current with the tests on the grading program many parents struggled to login in and check grades. I want to eliminate the whole password ordeal. I want to make it so that students and parents can quickly see an outline of what happened in class today and what is to be expected.
Bloging will be tool I will be incorporating into the website to do what I stated above about the website. I need a way parents will be able to see past and current postings easily. I was introduced to the idea of using a blog to keep track of the outline for that day in class. A different student each day would be responsible for posting the key points during class and the assignment that may be due. With me being the creator I will be able to edit and monitor what is posted. I had the opportunity to use EduBlog during previous courses and liked many of the features. If I happen to teach multiple sections of the same topic, which most likely be the case I will be able to set up blog page for each hour with no problem. Also getting students to voice their understandings and share their thoughts about topics that get brought up in class.
Going along with the idea of website I want to incorporate basic features of Moodle. I want students to be able to share and publish work but be free of outside comments and lack of control by me. I want a place where students are responsible for publishing their projects and resources with their peers for review and generating a colaborative database. It would allow me to have students upload work and be able to grade it anywhere, which will keep me more organized. Posting quizzes is the final usage I am planning for with introducing. I want to take away that lag time between a quiz and handing it back and be able to give instant feedback. It will allow me to address a repeating problem much quicker if an outlier is observed.
Moodle is going to be very essential when it comes time to integrate digital projects. I don’t want students to be forced to display their work to the web and want a common place where they are easily accessible and safe from outside scrutiny. I think that is very important when students are going to be putting their creativity and effort into their work.
I think what makes technology integration great which is evident in the work I have done is the ease of collaboration and instant feedback. Sharing work and collaborating is so routine to me now. It will allow me to stay in touch through more than just email. It will allow for me to see the ideas of teachers I may have never have met but or so distant from it wouldn’t have ever been possible. It has generated a large database for information. Also I think what it indirectly does it keeps you current and informed on what other are doing and the technology they have used first handedly. This will help get things started when I decide to integrate something new to my class and get things rolling much more smoothly. The starting is always the most difficult and this maybe a way to bypass the routine road blocks.
This cohort has gave me confidence to create a small group or startup a technology group in maybe a district or at a larger school system. What I have noticed is that when I have a group of similar minded people who are involved and interested in stuff like technology it is much easier to motivate yourself to learn and be exposed to the huge availability of stuff out there.
The reason I chose the resources and the paths I did is because I want to establish a database that includes not just me and my students but a collaboration between me, the student, and parents. Getting the parents involved and informed in their son or daughter is the goal of much this. Parents truly want to be involved and help but many don’t get the opportunity too.
Getting a firm jump on website was the first step in my plan because I hope to have them linked in some way to it. Which is in motion with my portfolio. It think it is important to have a location where students can retrieve resources if they were missing, need help, and planning ahead. I plan to maintain an up to date website. I will have to weigh out my options when I decide what software I will be continuing with. If the school provides space Dream Weaver will be the choice but if that is not supplied getting Weebly Pro will be answer. I like the flexibility of the online publishing programs because they don’t limit you to the location of the software. I want students to be able to use my website as hub for in and out of class work. Students will be able to access resources at home and best of all will give parents an opportunity to see what is happening in class. What I have noticed is that many parents are very helpful when they know a student has work to do, so many students eventually find it more convienent to not inform parents about what is going on in class. This is such case when it is time for tests. At parent teacher conferences parents wanted to know when tests were and important work was due. As hard as I tried to be current with the tests on the grading program many parents struggled to login in and check grades. I want to eliminate the whole password ordeal. I want to make it so that students and parents can quickly see an outline of what happened in class today and what is to be expected.
Bloging will be tool I will be incorporating into the website to do what I stated above about the website. I need a way parents will be able to see past and current postings easily. I was introduced to the idea of using a blog to keep track of the outline for that day in class. A different student each day would be responsible for posting the key points during class and the assignment that may be due. With me being the creator I will be able to edit and monitor what is posted. I had the opportunity to use EduBlog during previous courses and liked many of the features. If I happen to teach multiple sections of the same topic, which most likely be the case I will be able to set up blog page for each hour with no problem. Also getting students to voice their understandings and share their thoughts about topics that get brought up in class.
Going along with the idea of website I want to incorporate basic features of Moodle. I want students to be able to share and publish work but be free of outside comments and lack of control by me. I want a place where students are responsible for publishing their projects and resources with their peers for review and generating a colaborative database. It would allow me to have students upload work and be able to grade it anywhere, which will keep me more organized. Posting quizzes is the final usage I am planning for with introducing. I want to take away that lag time between a quiz and handing it back and be able to give instant feedback. It will allow me to address a repeating problem much quicker if an outlier is observed.
Moodle is going to be very essential when it comes time to integrate digital projects. I don’t want students to be forced to display their work to the web and want a common place where they are easily accessible and safe from outside scrutiny. I think that is very important when students are going to be putting their creativity and effort into their work.
I think what makes technology integration great which is evident in the work I have done is the ease of collaboration and instant feedback. Sharing work and collaborating is so routine to me now. It will allow me to stay in touch through more than just email. It will allow for me to see the ideas of teachers I may have never have met but or so distant from it wouldn’t have ever been possible. It has generated a large database for information. Also I think what it indirectly does it keeps you current and informed on what other are doing and the technology they have used first handedly. This will help get things started when I decide to integrate something new to my class and get things rolling much more smoothly. The starting is always the most difficult and this maybe a way to bypass the routine road blocks.
This cohort has gave me confidence to create a small group or startup a technology group in maybe a district or at a larger school system. What I have noticed is that when I have a group of similar minded people who are involved and interested in stuff like technology it is much easier to motivate yourself to learn and be exposed to the huge availability of stuff out there.
The reason I chose the resources and the paths I did is because I want to establish a database that includes not just me and my students but a collaboration between me, the student, and parents. Getting the parents involved and informed in their son or daughter is the goal of much this. Parents truly want to be involved and help but many don’t get the opportunity too.