Reflection
Throughout this course I feel that I have not only grown as a student and future educator, but most importantly, as a learner, simply because during the past few months I have come to realize that the end of a term, year, or even decade does not mark the end of learning, but rather, simply supports future learning to come. In turn, I have come to identify myself as a lifelong learner throughout this course, and I will strive to embody this title for the rest of my life. Therefore, in regards to how I have grown as a learner in the domain of technology, I feel as though through this class I have reached outside of my comfort zone and truly explored practices that leverage technology and improve student learning. For example, in regards to exploring new practices, through being able to create a digital learning story lesson, as well as a webquest, I felt I have been able to set goals and apply the pedagogical approaches involved in these technological lessons to the actual classroom, simply because before this course I had very little knowledge of the world of technology and how it could be used in the classroom. In regards to the world of technology, I also feel I have grown in staying current with research that supports students learning outcomes, especially findings from the learning sciences, simply because throughout this course and receiving various handouts, as well as researching myself, I realized that before this course I was almost wary of technology since previously I simply associated it with screen time. However, I now realize that there is a whole other world students deserve to explore that could help them with their social and emotional skills and technological dexterity, that I will be able to provide for them. Overall, even though I feel I have grown as an individual, because I am a lifelong learner there are always areas where I can grow, one of which being able to take what I have learned about myself and the world of technology, and bringing this knowledge into local and global learning networks where I engage in pursuing professional interests and create and actively participate within these interests. Thankfully, I will soon have an opportunity to grow in this domain as I move closer to becoming an educator, where I can take all that I have learned and share my knowledge with the students from the world, as well as learn what they have to bring.
This course has not only helped me grow as a learner within the world of technology, but has also helped me become a leader, both within the world of technology, and also within my daily life as an educator and unique individual. In fact, before beginning this course, as well as this MAT program, I never thought of myself as a leader, simply because I always did what I felt would benefit everyone around me, never standing in front of anyone and telling them what to do. However, after this program, I realized that what I was doing was actually showing leadership qualities in a subtle way, where I realized that I have always had a leader within me whenever I would help someone, fix a problem, or solve a dispute between two individuals, all of which are leadership qualities that shine even more in the world of technology. For example, through taking this specific technology course I was able to grow in the domain of advocating for equitable access to educational technology, digital content, and learning, as well as making technological opportunities meet the diverse needs of all students, because during various projects, such as Project TEAM, or my Individual Project, I realized that many of the technological demands, as well as various other demands, were too great for some of the students who needed extra assistance. In turn, this course made me realize that I came into this profession with pre-misconceptions that most students have access to technology at their homes and are familiar utilizing it, when in reality school may be their only exposure to this world. Therefore, this reflection made me realize that as a future educator I need to help my students every step of the way in technology, and ensure that by the time we start a new project they are all on level technological terrain, so that they can focus on what truly matters, exploring the incredible world of technology. In fact, after this course I have grown in the domain of sharing students’ empowered learning with their parents through the use of technology, simply because in my placements I have been exposed to a variety of these technological sharing platforms, such as “Seesaw”, which allows parents to see what their students are doing in school, a platform I will definitely use in my teaching future. Overall, even though I feel I have grown in all these domains, I still feel I need to grow in modeling new digital resources and tools for learning, simply because the world of technology is always expanding and developing, so essentially I will always be striving to reach this standard. In fact, before this course I believed that if I simply learned how to operate a program I would be ready to take on the technological world. However, I now realize that the foundational underlying skills to have in technology include critical thinking, problem solving, and innovative techniques, instead of simply mastering one program that will change the next year, which are leadership skills that I am still growing within. In the end, even though throughout this course I was able to see myself as a leader, most importantly, I was finally able to see myself as a leader that will support student empowerment and success, which I believe is an even greater goal to have.
The world of technology may at first appear to only exist outside the real world, where the events that happen within this world may never appear to emerge in the “real” world. In turn, before fully immersing myself into the world of technology, these were my beliefs for many years, where I essentially believed that technology and the “real” world were separate domains. However, after diving head first into the world of technology through this course, I have come to realize that these two worlds are more intertwined than I had ever imagined, with each world acting as the domino for the other in a cycle that is ultimately connected by the digital citizen. In fact, before taking this course, I was not completely knowledgeable about what comprised a “digital citizen”, and simply believed that being a “digital citizen” involved spending a substantial amount of time online. Despite this, after taking this course I realized that being a digital citizen was so much more than spending time online, it comprised ethics, responsibility, and finding one’s digital identity that was as unique as their fingerprint. In fact, through this course, I have had multiple opportunities to help students be curious while at the same time cautious of the online world, as well as engage them in legal and ethical practices with digital tools, all of which has helped me become a better digital citizen. For example, during my Project TEAM lesson, I realized that in order to be an ethical citizen I needed to both get consent from all of the students’ families, as well as the students themselves, to be on camera, as well as "snip" the students out of the shots. As a future educator, this process opened up my eyes to the importance of not sheltering students from the technological world by explaining that it is completely safe, but rather, exposing them to digital literacy and analyzing the digital domains they visit, so that when the time comes and students are on camera, they know that they need to consent to this process, just like how I encouraged students to make their digital learning stories, all of whom were aware of the importance of keeping their faces out of the camera. In turn, all of these acts have helped me grow in the domain of protecting student data privacy, a habit I strive to take with me and promote in the teaching world. Overall, even though I have grown as a digital citizen in all of these domains, I am still working towards being able to exhibit empathetic behavior online that builds relationship and community, simply because I have not yet had my own independent class. Therefore, as a future educator, I will strive to model my mentor teachers’ behaviors of maintaining positive relationships with the community through platforms such as “Seesaw” and “Google classroom”, where I will take these methods and utilize them in my own future classroom in order to promote responsible, ethical, and curious digital citizenship among all of my students.
To many individuals, it would appear as though the world of technology is a solitary world, with one individual at one computer exploring one webspace. In fact, these were the digital stereotypes I held before taking this course in technology and opening up my horizons, where I realized after taking this course that the world of technology is more interconnected than I would have ever believed, simply because technology is what is essentially bringing the world together. For instance, before the worldwide web, being able to contact someone from far away, even if a letter was sent, made the world appear vast and endless, where collaboration on worldwide projects was minimal. In turn, with the invention of new technologies and accessibility, to many it would appear as if the world has grown “smaller”, however, as I learned throughout this course, the world has remained the same size, the only aspect that is changed is how interconnected we are with each other, and how we have all essentially become global digital collaborators. Therefore, after learning about the transformation of technology over the years, I felt I have personally grown as a global digital collaborator, especially since I am out in classrooms experiencing firsthand what this global collaboration actually looks like. For example, in one of my placements I have had exposure to an incredibly innovative piece of technology that has helped me grow with the domain of demonstrating cultural competency when communicating with students, parents, and colleagues, where this form of technology allows parents and teachers to communicate through the use of a texting feature that sends messages to the students’ parents in the language they feel comfortable reading, which gives them the information they need, without the stress of having to decipher the meaning of the message. In addition to this, throughout this course in my placements I have also grown within this domain, simply because I have had exposure to another program that changes the language based on what students feel comfortable with, and therefore, increases communication and accessibility. This program is called “Math Reflex”, and is definitely a program that I strive to bring into my own future classroom. In regards to my future classroom, one of the domains in which I am still growing within is being able to use collaborative tools to expand students’ authentic, real-world learning experiences, simply because I have not yet had a classroom of my own. Therefore, one of my ultimate dreams in my classroom is to grow in this domain by having my class engage in a global Skype with a class of the same grade, but in a different global location, where I could have my students be “digital penpals” with this class, and essentially expand their horizons regarding how far the digital world can take us. Finally, in regards to where I have grown as a digital collaborator, throughout this term I have had multiple opportunities to engage in group projects that have helped me become a better collaborator, as well as have had many instances where I have co-learned with students in the world of technology, including engaging in the authentic learning experience of creating a digital podcast with my peer, and helping students create their Google classroom accounts and explore what this program has to offer. In turn, throughout these experiences, I have come to the realization that the world of technology is not solitary, if anything it has brought us closer together as a society.
The experiences I have had within this term, and the memories I have made in the world of technology, will stay with me for the rest of my life, as I will constantly refer back to what I have learned in this world as an educator. However, even though the memories will stay with me forever, most predominately, my identity as a digital learner will greatly influence my life decisions, especially how I have essentially taken my designer identity in the world of crafts and have been able to apply these skills to technology. For example, I am personally an extremely creative individual, and greatly enjoy creating artwork out of construction paper, markers, and various other art supplies. In turn, before taking this course, I initially believed that it would be extremely difficult to bring my designer and creator identity into the world of technology, simply because I saw this world as being separate from the “real” world. However, as I have come to learn throughout this course, technology is the “real” world, and is essentially a platform where I could let my creative ideas soar higher than I every imagined. Therefore, throughout this course I have not only grown as a digital designer, but most importantly, as a digital educator designer. In regards to how I have grown as a digital educator designer, after taking this course I have had the opportunity to create a webquest for students that I strive to implement in the future, where through creating this webquest, I was able to grow within the domain of creating innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning, simply because I essentially created a new space that students could potentially explore, and engage in innovative techniques in order to gather information, such as using Google Earth. In addition to this, throughout this course, I have also had the opportunity to design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning, by creating interdisciplinary activities for the students in my placements, that both embrace the world of technology, as well as bring in various content areas for the students to explore. For example, within my individual project where I encouraged students to create a digital learning story through the use of technology such as videoing themselves, I not only helped them reach technological standards, but also immersed scientific research, artistic exploration, and theatrical performance, all within this project, where students could explore these subjects through the use of technology, which I have learned throughout this course acts as the bridge that not only brings us as a society together, but also can bring the subject areas together. Overall, even though I have grown as a digital learner within all of these domains, there are still areas I strive to grow as a digital designer, especially regarding creating technological learning experiences that accommodate learner differences and needs, simply because even though I have been able to differentiate many of my non-technological activities, such as providing handouts, tools that are easier to manage, and personal assistance, I am still striving towards differentiating the world of technology for students, especially regarding differentiating activities I have created, such as the webquest. However, I realized after taking this course, that before I engage in this task, I personally need to dive deeper into the world of technology, and further discover myself and where I am at as a digital individual, before altering this world for the use of students who may need extra assistance. In turn, once I understand myself as a digital citizen in the world of technology, I will be able to help open other students’ eyes to the world of technology through introducing them to programs such as Math Reflex, that automatically adapt and accommodate for their learning needs, simply because I believe that every student deserves the chance to truly soar.
Throughout my years working with students I have always viewed myself as a facilitator, simply because I answered students’ questions, helped them through difficult assignments, and continually scaffolded them without giving them the direct answers and so that they could enjoy the path of learning themselves. However, after taking this technology course, I realized that being a facilitator was much more than answering simple questions, instead being a facilitator means that you open up doorways and opportunities for students, and let them take the lead in discovering what lies on the other side of the learning door you have given them. In turn, these are the reasons why after taking this course I have grown tremendously in becoming a facilitator, where I not only re-examined the definition of what it meant to be a facilitator, but most importantly, realized that being a facilitator stretched into the world of technology, where in this world facilitation is so much more than simply helping students log in to their computers. For example, throughout this term I have had multiple opportunities to grow in the domain of helping students manage the use of technology in digital platforms and hands-on makerspaces, especially regarding the webquest I created, which invites students to explore the digital space of Google Earth, and truly experience the world through the digital platform of the web. In fact, I also had the opportunity to grow in this domain through guiding students through the process of video recording themselves performing a digital learning story, simply because through this process, students had the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning through proceeding through this activity mostly on their own, and used the digital platform of a camera and Google slides, both of which I encouraged them to explore freely. However, even though I have grown as a digital facilitator in this domain, there are always areas where I could improve in regards to this domain, especially involving introducing students to new virtual environments. Therefore, in the future I strive to engage my students in an activity that is similar to the digital learning stories in the sense that they would be researching animals and creating a presentation, but in this new activity, I would introduce students to a new digital platform that allows them to create digital puppets rather than concrete puppets, which they could then manipulate and use to make a story. In turn, through this free digital exploration, I would be introducing students to a new digital landscape while keeping the fundamental and important creative aspects of the digital learning stories lesson. In regards to an additional domain that I am still growing within, I am still striving to challenge students to use a design process in the world of technology, simply because I have engaged students in exploring digital resources, and students have explored technological platforms on their computers, such as Math Reflex and Prodigy, but both of these opportunities involve the students receiving the digital domain rather than creating their own. Therefore, one of my future goals in my classroom is to inspire students to create their own digital learning space for their peers, such as designing a webquest for their peers to discover, or even a webpage with interactive parts. Overall, even though I am still growing within these domains, I have still had a multitude of opportunities to build my digital facilitator identity through helping to nurture creativity and creative expression of ideas, knowledge, or connections, by encouraging the students in my placements to express their creativity in a variety of forms, such as drawing or using construction, all of which I gave students in a fairly open-ended environment where they could let their imaginations run wild, especially when I encouraged them to create any shadow puppet they desired, where the results were absolutely phenomenal. However, even though I gave my students free exploration time, during these opportunities I was able to build upon my facilitator skills and foster a culture within the classroom where students take ownership of their learning, by giving students problem solving strategies such as first reviewing where they have been, then asking a few peers for help, and then finally asking the teacher. In fact, I have also been able to build my facilitator skills by scaffolding my students’ creative processes by emphasizing the hard work a student has put into a project, rather than the product, to help students embrace the process of making a creative masterpiece, a critical skill to possess in both the world of technology, and most importantly, the world of problem solving.
Throughout my years of being a student I have had multiple opportunities to explore the world of data, whether this exploration was in math, science, or even literacy, I have had many instances where I was able to utilize my analyst skills in order to understand data. However, before taking this technology course, and diving deeper into the world of teaching, I have not had as much experience exploring my educator analyst identity, where after this term and the past year I have been able to build upon this identity and truly discover who I am as a digital educator analyst. In regards to where I have grown within this domain, over the course of this term I have been able to provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology, by encouraging students to explore the various technological programs that the school has available for them to explore. For instance, in one of my placements the students have the opportunity to use Math Reflex, which allows them to demonstrate their competency in alternative ways, simply because it tracks their progress and accommodates for their learning by giving them the problems that they need to work on, and essentially scaffolding students to help them reach the next concept. In addition to this, in another one of my placements, I have been able to provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate their technological competency by guiding them through a program known as “Amplify”, where all the students may be exploring the same concept, but the degree and cognitive magnitude to which they explore these concepts can be accommodated for their diverse needs in this program, to ensure they are all able to reflect on their learning. In fact, within my own projects I have implemented in my placements, such as the digital learning story lesson I implemented, I have grown in my ability to modify these projects and provide alternative ways for students to show their learning, such as altering the ending assessment that I had students complete in my digital learning story lesson, where I scaffolded these students during the video-taping process, and gave them sentence frames and cues for what they wanted to say in the video, as well as encouraged students who desired extensions to add more details to their videos and scripts that they created. In regards to assessments, throughout my technological journey I have also grown in the domain of using technology to design and implement assessments, where in regards to my digital learning story lesson, I was able to utilize the ISTE standards for students in order to create a set of goals to guide students on their journey that I could ultimately use to assess their understanding and modify where I go next in my lesson planning. In fact, I was also able to practice this skill through creating my webquest, where in the ending assessment I required students to utilize what they discovered about natural landforms and geographic locations on Google Earth to create their own landscapes. However, even though I have had multiple opportunities to implement assessments, because I am a lifelong learner, I am still striving towards the ability to provide timely feedback to students that inform my instruction, where even though I created goals for students, I have yet to implement these goals and give students feedback on reaching them. Therefore, in the future, I strive to implement timely feedback to students, and grow on making this feedback constructive, by focusing on the assets that students bring to their projects, rather than the deficits. In fact, even though I have personally not had as many opportunities to provide feedback, I have been exposed to a technological program that automatically gathers student data and outputs this data in charts for the educator to reference and implement in further lessons. In turn, this program is known as Math Reflex, and exposure to this program has truly helped me grow within the domain of using assessment data to help build students self-direction. For instance, through looking at the information gathered by this program regarding student progress, I have been able to guide students’ learning based on what I know about their interests and skills, where through this exposure I have not only had the opportunity to help build students’ self-direction, but most importantly, have been able to help students build a sense of self-efficacy in what they can do, and encourage them to embrace the power of the word “yet”, a concept that I strive to live by as I continue to grow in the world of technology as a student, and most importantly, as a future educator.