Many schools provide the technology needed to improve academic achievement and change traditional teaching, but many don't know how to use it to reach higher-order teaching and learning. Being given the opportunity to explore and learn new innovations was the best part of this course. Because I work in a magnet school that has a focus in math, science, and technology, I had the chance to practice using technology tools and resources that helped me transform my students learning.
There were many assignments that I was familiar with or had heard of, but had not use them personally or I lacked the knowledge of how to implement them in the classroom. I had previous knowledge in using comic strips in the classroom, but this was my first time actually making one. After learning about Pixton, my students have been writing summaries, creating story plots, and identifying character traits of their favorite book. Pixton has encourage reading in my class since students are eager to complete the activities and publish their comic strip. In one of my previous classes I was required to make a podcast in Podbean about a leader in the library community. I had the experience of making a podcast, but in this course I gained the knowledge of how to effectively use it with students in the classroom or library. Implementing Podcast into my teaching has helped my students become more focused on achieving their personal reading goals with the use of technology. Another assignment I had previous knowledge of was QR Codes. I had used QR codes only for classroom scavenger hunts. After reading the multiple and effective ways other libraries are using QR codes I was surprised, I had no idea there were so many options and choices. Many of the ideas mentioned I had never though of before. I'm not working in a library yet, but I took some ideas and implemented them in my classroom. I now use QR codes in my weekly classroom newsletters, my classroom library, and in anchor charts.
The one assignment I found difficult was the use of social media in the classroom. The only social media account I had before this class was Twitter and didn't use it often. Is challenging putting yourself out there for everyone to see. I challenged myself to post to Twitter weekly. At first I struggled with what to post. I quickly found out that my students and their parents like seeing their exemplar work. Reluctant learners are now motivated to excel in their work for the possibility to land a spot on our weekly social media page. It has definitely connected me with other professionals in and out of my district and has bridge the gap between home and the school community. It was uncomfortable posting my video on YouTube, but after I saw the comments and reflected on how much I personally and professionally use it to learn new things, it became easy for me. My job is to provide information and our 21st century learners rely on social media and the web on a daily basis, therefore I needed to change the way I look at it in order to connect with my students. .
This course has allow me to face my fear of being in the public eye and has given me the tools and confidence to continue my learning of how to transform my teaching, and as I move to my future role as a librarian. I will still be in the classroom next year, I'm certainly going to use some of these technology tools during my practicum and inspire other teachers to use them in their classroom.
