Well, unfortunately my tech class has come to an end today. When I started this course I wasn't really sure how I would like it or what I would learn. I came into the class with pretty low expectations of what I would be learning and if the information and tools would be beneficial for me when I become a teacher. But on the first day of this class, I was instantly amazed with the amount that I had learned -- and that was just day one! After that day my expectations had sky rocketed and I was eager to see what we would be learning next. I'm not going to lie, I thought I knew a lot about technology and the different tools I could use. I WAS WRONG!
As you can see through my previous blog posts and pages, I have learned about so many new tools. I didn't even know that most of these tools existed. But, as I'm sure you all know by now, my favourite tool to learn about was PowToon. This tool was so useful for me and I am already thinking of ways I can use PowToon when I start my first block of teaching in a classroom. Yeah, I start actually teaching students on Monday... everyday from Monday until Christmas break! I'm so nervous, but I am so happy that I was able to learn about different technology that I can use in the classroom.
To show you a bit of what I learned (other than everything I have been sharing with all of you), I received different badges throughout this course that outline my learning.
My Gamification Badge. This was what peaked my interest in what we were going to learn about (plus, the activity was presented to us in the form of PowToon, so obviously it got my attention)! This was done before the course, so I assumed this was just the "hook" to get us interested in the course... turns out, this was a great way to get us involved!
Learning about creating a Digital Identity was really good to learn about because it taught us how to effectively use technology in the classroom. We were able to create avatars that look like us so that we do not always have to use a real picture of ourselves online.
Learning about Problem Based Learning was highly beneficial for showing us how important it is to get students involved in their learning through research and collecting information. This promotes higher order thinking and reflection skills that encourages students to push their learning a little further than normal.
Project Based Learning was great to complete. I learned about different tools to use to get students to complete projects other than just a written assignment. Students will benefit more from projects that promote learning and allow them various ways to present their information.
The Digital Teacher badge was so beneficial because it showed us how we could be a digital teacher, and of course some of the different tools that we could use in our classrooms (basically all of the ones I wrote about in previous blog posts and pages). By using the information from all the other badges, this badge was fairly easy to complete and allowed me to reflect on everything I have learned over the past couple of weeks.
By completing all of these badges, I collected the big badge:
Now that I have this badge, I'm clearly very wise when it comes to using technology in the classroom!
I can't wait to be able to use everything I learned about technology in my classroom. These tools can be used in any and all subjects that you can teach -- which is a big part of why they are so great!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read through this blog and those who stuck with me through my journey. I hope you were able to learn a thing or two about technology, genius hour, and elements of instructional design when it comes to creating interactive and engaging lesson plans for your students!
- Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your blog. The opening page definitely captures the reader’s attention and provides a clear road map of how to navigate the various sections of your blog. All of the artifacts are present and accompanied by in depth and authentic reflections. Awesome job! Everything is very easy to read and you used the various tools available very effectively, such as incorporating videos and links into your posts. I would suggest adding to your different reflections a sections that discusses how you could use the various artifacts across the curriculum. Include some examples of how you could do so and what this might look like in a classroom. I would also suggestion possibly incorporating more images into your posts just to break up some of the text. This are just some small suggestions, including my own stylistic opinions, as I think you did a fantastic job! Keep up the awesome work and continue your exploration into the world of technology as well as specifically blogging!
Laura