Reflection on my theory and more...

As I looked back at the theory I produced several weeks ago involving my views on learning and teaching, I realized that I haven't really changed it. I still follow more of a behaviorist view. I still base my teaching on what is best for my students to learn. I try to teach them using methods most rewarding to them. If that means that I involve more "hands on" activities, then so be it. However, after taking this class and learning about different ways to use technology in my classroom, I have perhaps learned a few things that will enhance my teaching and support my theory. I think that if I were to make any immediate changes to my teaching it would be to simply use more of it. I think one thing that would be helpful is to do a virtual field trip, even if that means doing it together using a projector. Since my school does not currently allow field trips due to the cost, this would be the best way for them to experience things. Another tool I might use is to make slide shows on Power point and maybe allow my students to take part in making one themselves. My students are very visual learners so I think that this would be helpful for them.

If I had to make two long-term goals for incorporating technology, it would be first to learn and master the technology pieces in my building such as a smart board and a Mimeo board. I think that these tools would be useful for me as a teacher and for my students to learn, but until I learn how to use them myself, they are useless to me. To accomplish this, I will seek help from one of my building's technologically savvy teachers and set aside a small amount of time once a month to learn from them. I will also make myself "play" with these tools at least once every two weeks to become more familiar with them. Another goal is to teach at least one lesson a month that involves my students (not me) using technology whether it be making a power point, blogging, concept mapping, etc. To do this, I will choose a certain week of each semester (for example, week 6) and plan a lesson that aligns with the pacing guide for that week. At the beginning of the semester I will either develop a new lesson plan or modify an existing one. I think that the more I have my students use technology, the more proficient they will be at it, thus preparing them for our technology-filled world.

Voice Thread

Here is the link to my voice thread: voicethread.com/share/785991

Cooperative Learning.

I think that cooperative learning is a great thing. I think that by working with one another, our students learn a lot more than the curriculum. One way our students can do this is by constructing a website with one another. They can be given a topic and need to work together create an informative website that can be viewed by others in the class. I think that this is a great way to collaborate and also showcase work.