I have always had the privilege of working in schools that are equipped with interactive whiteboard, projectors, document cameras and class computers. I have always tried to incorporate technology projects in my class. This course has challenged me to move beyond what I can do as a teacher, to what I can equip my students with the knowledge to do and create. The class has challenged me to not only learn about new forms of media, but the application and hands on experience to create. Some weeks the quick turn around of reading about technology and then quickly producing a product proved to be very stressful. I not only learned how to create wikis, blogs and podcasting but how to reach out to my colleagues by using Skype and cyber discussions. My students loved the opportunity to assist me with my “homework” by using Audacity and creating a podcast. They were so excited that we expanded our class web page to include blogs and podcasting. The students are now excited to complete a written assignment, so they can post it on our class page or blog about it. The few that have computers at home are logging in to our class web page at home and continuing the blogging. They are also using our class links to explore and research for self discovery.
I will continue to expand my knowledge of technology integration with the aim of increasing student achievement through professional development within my district. Our district offers graduate courses targeting innovative technology throughout the year. My third grade team has agreed to collaborate on at least one new technology application each quarter. This summer, we plan to take a road trip across South Carolina and create a podcast showing the regions and history of our state. I also plan to complete my course of study of Integrating Technology in the Classroom Master’s Program at Walden University. I will also continue to network with other teachers globally by participating in professional blog sites and listening to relevant podcasts for professional development.
I have set two long term goals for my classroom that will transform us from a teacher driven class to an inquiry project based classroom. The first goal is to have podcasts that are student written, produced and published not only for our use, but other classes as well. I want to create a podcast center that students will be able to access and create without my assistance. My second goal is to create a class wiki that we can use to produce or display class projects. For example, we are completing our Civil War PowerPoints on selected topics and it would be great to be able to display them on one source such as a wiki. We have a before school program that allows us time to work with students on topics and activities that we normally would not have time to complete such as wiki and podcast training. I am working with my team on teaching the students how to use Audacity and IPods to create projects. We are also working with our district technology liaison to have access to more sites like Youtube and Itunes to allow for more creative and innovative exploration. These goals will take time and patience from everyone involved. It will be worth the effort because it will help my students become better prepared as 21st Century Learners.
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