End of the Semester Reflection

What Have I Learned?

 

Throughout this course and this semester, I have learned about many new ways in which technology can be incorporated into the classroom. Although I have always known about the standard ways such as using videos or doing SMARTBoard lessons, I also had the pleasure of learning some new things such as virtual reality, virtual tours online, and google cardboard. My perspective surrounding technology integration has changed greatly as a whole new world of opportunities has opened up. I still believe doing the actual thing is better than using technology to do it; however, I now realize some things just can't be done in school for a multitude of reasons and technology can give students the next best thing. I also believe that with these technologies teachers can make learning authentic in new and fun ways, engaging their students even more.

Some things that I learned from my mentor teachers and fellow peers, were some other great ways to use technology. For example, my mentors gave me many resources on other websites and forums that provide fun games and lessons for students to learn from, one of which being mathletics. I also learned from my peers that technology can be a great tool to help assess students. One of my fellow cohort members interviewed her Grade 1 students and used a camera to record their responses so that she would be able to look at them again later as well as showcase them for future portfolios and growth. Finally, there is a really cool drama project that one of the other teachers at my practicum school is orchestrating and the entire basis is to connect with other schools around the world and build a production together. So one school creates a scene, films it, and then sends it off to a school somewhere else in the world, like China or London, and then that school has to make another scene that connects to the video they received, and so on and so forth. Hearing this idea made me realize how absolutely incredible technology can be to be able to connect people from around the world and bring them all together. To be able to learn and develop in that way is something I would have never thought of but would definitely love to be a part of.

Questions and Answers

 

At the beginning of this semester, I had the "burning" question of whether or not students would be getting too much screen time and not enough hands on; however, throughout my practicum I realized it is all about balance. Especially, because some of the cool and fun technologies that are available aren't necessarily there to replace the real-life opportunities, but are there because not everyone or every school can do those things. I also realized that using technology doesn't mean it can't be hands on. For instance, during my practicum I got students to create stop-motion animations for how the sun and shadows change throughout the day. This was a great way to utilize the google chrome books, but it was also very hands on and also used a lot of art and fine motor skills as well. In doing this task, I contributed to my students learning by bringing them an authentic learning task that incorporated a wide range of integration and was fun and exciting for them to do.

Digital Story - Tim Horton Children's Ranch

A couple weeks ago we had the wonderful opportunity to go to the Tim Horton's Children's Ranch out in Kananaskis. Although our plans had to change due to unforeseen weather circumstances, we were still able to do some really fun and engaging activities. Through this experience, I have a new appreciation for inquiry and getting students to actively participate in their learning. This can absolutely be done through classroom experiences; however, giving them opportunities like what the Children's Ranch provides, are lessons that they won't soon forget.

If you'd like to hear more about the Tim Horton's Children's Ranch, my experience there, and how this has inspired my future teaching practices, please click the picture above and check it out!

**Note: to view the video, ensure the blue switch is on movie, not slideshow, as shown above**

Apps and Technology

Technology has many positives and negatives when used in the classroom. My peers and I experienced this last day as we taught one another a lesson based off of an app or website. We had planned to use our website on the SMART Board but unfortunately it wasn't working so we had to adapt and modify our lesson. Instead we just used a laptop; however, in an actual classroom setting using a projector would have been more optimal. The website we used is called Science for Kids and we focused on the game called "Changing State of Water." This is a fun, interactive simulator that shows how varying temperature changes effect the state of water.

During our lesson we got our students to make predictions (hypothesis) on what they thought the water was going to do while following the prompts in the game. This worked very effectively for what we wanted our students to learn as trying to do this process in real life would take much longer and they wouldn't be able to see the changes as rapidly as they did in the simulator. I think this would be a fun way to either introduce a new concept or wrap up and clarify an existing one. Obviously, doing experiments in person and having that hands on experience is often more valuable; however, that is not always possible to do and this can still be a fun and engaging experience for students to learn. I also like that they can be done individually, in groups, or as a whole class. I could definitely see myself using these sorts of games and other apps in my future classrooms as they can be great tools for students to practice and get engaged with a variety of concepts and ideas.

Here's a link to our lesson plan if you want to check it out!

 

 

States of Water

SMART Board Lessons

Last week in class we had the opportunity to teach our classmates a mini-lesson utilizing the SMART Board. My fellow peers and I used a mini-lesson template from the SMART Board called Cookie Crunch to help us teach our lesson. I think overall it went very well and the lesson was a great way to review or introduce sight words in a more fun and engaging format. We found that some of the levels were too easy for our "students" but we were able to increase the difficulty which was really cool. It was also neat to see how engaged each student was, even when they weren't the one being asked to move the cookie to reveal the sight word. I think with any piece of technology, there are negatives and positives to using it in the classroom; however, this experience helped to highlight some of the more positive aspects.

Here's a link to the lesson plan if you want to check it out! 

 

 CLICK HERE

Looking forward into the future, I could definitely see myself using SMART Boards in my classroom. I used to think they were just a fancy whiteboard because that's the only way they were used when I was in school; however, after seeing all the different templates for so many subjects and topics, I now see how fun and engaging they can be too. On the other hand, I'm not sure how engaging they would be if the classes were larger, as I know for our particular activity, it was definitely better suited for a smaller group so everyone could have a turn and not get distracted as easily. This would be something I would like to test out or be able to learn from someone who has used the technology with a larger number of students. Due to this concern, I think I would mostly use the SMART Board for small groups that need to practice certain topics, centers, or maybe as a warm-up or wrap-up activity. Now a days, these are a more common piece of technology found in most schools; therefore, I think at the very least teachers should be educated on how to use them and explore what possibilities they have for integration in the classroom. Overall, I think they are a fun technology to have and I hope to learn more ways of utilizing them for my future classrooms.

Twitter as an Educational Tool?

Although I am very new to the Twitter world, I can already see some of the fun ways it can be incorporated into the classroom. For instance, it is an excellent way to keep in touch with the community, other schools, as well as other fellow educators. Students can find news and hashtags that relate to topics they're learning in class or that relate to the community or city around them. I'm excited to continue on this journey and see what fun new ideas I can find.

To follow me on Twitter, please click this link!

Beginning of the Semester Reflection

 

 Personal Learning Goals

 

Professional Responsibility (PR 5):

 

Step out of my comfort zone a little more and collaborate with teachers, parents, learners, and community members whenever possible. I've always been pretty good about discussing things with my mentor teacher; however, this time I would love to hear from other teachers in the school, the principal, and the students. There are also many behavioral specialists and councilors at my placement so this will be a great opportunity for me to hear their perspectives and gain new knowledge on different learners.

Planning for Learning (P7):

 

 Create lessons that clearing connect to the program of studies and student learning goals. I want to ensure that my students are not only engaged but are having to think deeply and creatively. This will also include having to plan for differentiation as not all students learn in the same way or are at the same starting point.

Facilitating Learning (F3):

 

Incorporating technologies into the class whenever appropriate. Although my particular placement does not have a lot of technology to use, I am hoping to be able to utilize what they do have and create fun, engaging, and meaningful lessons. I have yet to really use technology with a lesson so I am excited to push myself and see what I can come up with.

Assessment (A5):

 

Specific constructive feedback is a vital part of students being able to understand where they are at and what they need to do to reach their learning goals. I want to ensure that I am giving students this sort of feedback and to make sure I know where each of my students are at. Doing regular check-ins and anecdotal note taking will help to keep me on track and be able to provide extra support to students that need it.

Environment (C4):

 

Respect is a prominent theme in my placement school; therefore, I would love to be able to provide an environment where everyone is respectful of their peers and feels they are in a space that they can learn and grow. I want to be able to encourage students to be risk takers and build confidence in themselves are learners and as individuals.

Previous Educational Technology Experience 

 

As a pre-service teacher I haven’t had the opportunity to really utilize technology as of yet. During my field experience time I either wasn’t teaching a whole lot or the school I was placed in didn’t have a lot of access to technology. I’m hoping to step out of my comfort zone and experiment this upcoming fall to utilize whatever technology is available and find unique ways of incorporating it into my lessons. 

As for my student experience with technology, my high school was one of the first to do the one-to-one program with laptops. We also had smartboards that many schools did not have yet; however, I don’t recall really using them as a part of our learning. They were more so just used as a way of writing notes but nothing more. As for the laptops, it was an interesting way to learn but I do believe it helped in research for many of my classes and I do remember using them for learning games and connecting with my peers.

"Burning" Question About Technology in the Classroom

 

Technology is a rising ever-growing and ever-evolving tool that can be highly beneficial in the classroom when used effectively. However, with its growing popularity, I often wonder if students are receiving perhaps too much screen time and not enough hands on time. The advances with VR and AR are tremendous, especially when considering the endless possibilities that can be used in the classroom, but I wonder if these technologies are taking away from physically going on field trips or creating projects with raw materials and their own two hands.

Why is This Important to Me?

 

This question is so important to me because I remember doing some projects in my own school experience where we had to physically create biospheres and Rube Goldburg Machines, whereas now students are still doing these projects but they are through an app and a screen. I just wonder if the virtual experiences will be as impactful and engaging when compared to the physical creations that I had growing up.