Final Reflective Post

In my time at Florida SouthWestern College I have taken a lot of classes that I didn't really want to take. Mostly math classes, but those are deemed a necessity in the academic community. I've rarely felt that I leave my classes with information I can utilize everyday in my future career. This course, definitely did not leave me with that feeling. I have learned so much about technology and the importance of its use in a school setting. I always thought I was kind of tech savvy, I have my own Facebook, I know how to look up videos on Youtube, I know what a tweet is (although I don't use it) so when I signed up for the course I wasn't expecting to learn anything new that I didn't already know. I was really, really wrong (which is something I'm not particularly used to but I am happy I was in this case.) There are a lot of critics when it comes to integrating technology in today's schools but the more I got into the course the more I found myself puzzled by these arguments. There are so many wonderful ways to use technology to enhance learning. I figured out how to make a website, how to make a web quest, copy right laws, blogging, podcasts, virtual field trips, and better ways to asses a student's progress. These were not things I came into the course thinking about, which was the beauty of this class, it opened up a lot of new doors for me. I got to utilize a lot of creative through sights like Voki,  ToonDoo, and Kahoot. Tools I didn't even know existed before and things I will definitely be using with the younger kids I will be teaching. I had no idea that great tools for student assessments were right at our fingertips through:

• Electronic tests and quizzes
• Gradekeeping software
• Digital Portfolios
• Student response systems
• Online surveys
• Learning performance rubrics

I learned about the wonderful world of blogging, and have actually considered starting my own blog (although it would be more comedy based to be honest, probably won't be sharing it with my students.) It really is a great tool to utilize though, academically or not. 

I learned about KidPix, a tool that I feel very sternly about and will definitely be using in my classroom. I have always felt that nurturing a child's creative side is just as important as nurturing their intellectual side, so many things online allow teachers to tap into both at the same time and I think that is an amazing thing. 

Virtual Field Trip 

Using KidPix

The only feedback I have on how to improve this course is the lesson plan assignment. I think that having students all create their own lesson plan would be a better opportunity for more advanced learning. I have never been a big fan of group work. Also maybe having to teach that lesson plan will give more experience, that or the web quest just so we can have a feel how that particular lesson would play out in an actual classroom setting. Other than that I honestly loved this course, I had a lot of fun and did things on the computer I didn't know I was capable of doing. I appreciate you putting up with my antics and I know I will use the things I learned here to further better a future generations education. 

Credit: Bunches and Bits from Flickr

Resources:

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.flickr.com/

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.kidpix.com/

Fastest Way to Create Comic Strips and Cartoons - Toondoo. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.toondoo.com

Kahoot! | Game-based blended learning & classroom response system. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from https://getkahoot.com/

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Voki Home. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.voki.com/