This course has exposed me to a lot of technology. It helped me improve on technologies I was previously exposed to and introduced me to new technologies. I have learned when and where it is appropriate to use these technologies. I now see how important technology is in the classroom. As a student now, I liked using technology in class. I am sure my future students will also enjoy this. Knowing how to use popular and effective technology is what I will take away from this course. Also, I am walking away from this course knowing technology does not always work out as planned. So I know I need to set extra time aside when planning technology oriented plans and to always have a back up lesson. Moving forward, I would like to spend more time on making websites and become more familiar with SharePoint. By the end of the semester I think this will happen.

Reflection (Morrisa)

This course has really taught me how to be patient with technology and also realize that technology has its flaws and it's not at all perfect! I learned a lot about how technology is being incoroparted into the classroom more so now, than ever before. I still have the same views about technology because of my experience with technology in the course. But it has given me the opportunity to know what is out here for students to use if I choose to use it. The principles and standards I understand better since the start of the course and I've learned how to apply those in my classroom. The hardest assignment I think in the course is the final project. I remember how to do it in class but there is so much to it by the time I get home I forget. It really deals with the learning theories page with all the links that go with it. After this course I would like to continue to learn about different technologies to use, but easy ones that will work with me and not stop working! lol I really enjoyed myself in this class and it was very much so my best class this semester!

Reflection

This course has been helpful for me. I did not enjoy learning about technology integration before. I never really knew how I could apply it to my classrooms and make it interesting for my students. But I have learned about a lot of different softwares that I had not heard of before. They seem like they would help out and allow my students to have fun. I learned about all the benefits of using technology.
I have also learned about different issues that come about with technology integration in a classroom. The idea that classrooms could become online only is not one that I like. it makes me want to learn more and be there to prevent this. The classroom provided information on how to properly use technology in the classrooms in a way that will help the students, not teach them.
There were also discussions of the different teaching styles and other technical aspects of teaching- like requesting the useage of software and evaluating it.
I am glad that I have taken the class. It has taught be to be aware of the different technologies available and also know how to properly use them. I also think this class has helped me learn more about teaching in general- how to work with a classroom, lesson planning, and being aware of a students individual needs.

Laura Miranda

Reflection

After reflecting on what I learned this semester, I realized that the most important thing I will be taking away from this course is a more open view towards technology. I became aware of various technologies and learned different ways to integrate them into the classroom. The most enjoyable part of the class was when we learned how to use Moviemaker. It was something that was really interesting and something that I might use in the future. The Inspiration Web software is something that I might use in the classroom. I realized how much I wasn’t up to date on the current technologies. I now place a greater importance on keeping up with the current technologies because the students are already using them and they can be beneficial in the classroom. The most open eye opening thing for me was that I realized that I really need to use technology so that I can reach all the different types of learners. What I would really like to learn more about going forward is how we can make sure everybody has equal access to the same technologies. I know that many students have an advantage over me in school because I cannot afford the same technologies that they use in the comfort of their own home. I live an hour away from school, so I can’t always drive up to the computer lab to take advantage of these technologies. I feel like I’m part of the digital divide and I want to learn how to keep students such as myself from becoming disadvantaged. - John Wagner

Reflection

This class was beneficial to me in more than one way. I became up to date on many new and various technologies, while at the same time learning how to integrate them into classroom settings. It opened my mind up to realizing the out of the box ways that technologies can be used. I enjoyed learning about moviemaker the most because it something that can always be useful. It is a fun way to bring life to a project that would otherwise be boring. However, I do wish that some more time was spent on website making and our online portfolios because I think that making a website could be another way to do a project, and that there is so much more that can be done with it that we haven’t learned. If I were to go on with this class I would like to receive information on more specialized technologies that would be helpful for students with learning disabilities in my content area.

Reflection

I think that this course really helped me to learn more about different technologies. It also helped me to know how beneficial it can be to incorporate technology in the classroom. I can more effectively tell the difference between technology that is beneficial in the classroom and technology that may not be appropriate. Learning how to evaluate different software will help greatly when I become a teacher. Software like the inspiration web and digital stories with be a good thing to use in the classroom.
I think it will be important to stay on top of current technology. It is important for teachers to be comfortable using different technologies because students today grow up with technology. I would like to learn about even more ways to use technology in the classroom.

Reflection

I enjoyed taking this class this semester and I am glad it is a requirement. I feel like I have learned a lot and even though I already knew how to use some of the programs like, Inspiration, it was a good review. More time should have been spent on website making and learning how to build your online portfolio. I enjoyed the projects we had to do, especially the digital storytelling project. It is a good way to make your project and your story more personal. I feel I have found a new appreciation for technology and find it more beneficial for inside and outside the classroom. I was also able to see that there are disadvantages for using certain technologies inside the classroom.

Reflection

Entering this class, I had no idea the amount of information that I was about to learn. In ISTC 201, it was more of a recap of the technology that I had been used to. But this class introduced me to a large amount of new technologies. Concept webs, blogging, wiki's, etc. opened my eyes to a whole new world. I really realized that all class, even Special Ed. settings could use assistive technology to help kids' learning process. I also feel a lot more updated all together with the computer.
If I were to go forward with this class, I would like the teacher to work especially with my content area. I would like tips for when I become a Special Ed. teacher. And also learn activities specialized for my age group. I wonder if infants/toddlers would benefit from anything technological. I believe that would be interesting for me.

Reflection

I really liked learning how to make digital stories and I think it will be beneficial in the classroom and outside of the classroom. I also think students will have fun making them. It would be a good project to do in the beginning of the year for students to introduce themselves. I would still like to learn more about website building. I feel that we did not spend enough time learning how to make our online portfolios which relates to the websites that some teachers are required to have with the school system.

Reflection

I am very happy that I had to take this class because, I actually have learned a lot. I feel that I have a new found of appreciation for using technology in the classroom and feel more comfortable with it. Now I know that there is technology and software out there that is benefitual for students, in the their learning process. Also I can somewhat imagine me as a teacher, implenting some of the technologies we talked about such as, the inspiration web; which I really like. I even got to thinking about the teaching methods I would use in my classroom. I was also able to see the disadvantages of using technology in the classroom more clearly and how I as a future teacher could address theses problems within my own classroom or school. I have concluded that the constructivist approach is the best approach to teaching all students. So I m glad I took this class and I value all of the information I was taught.

Reflection

When this semester first started, I did not expect to learn things that I already did not know. However, that of course was not the case. Without the information I learned in this course, there would be many things I would not know that would limit my potential effectiveness as a future teacher. Being a student, I always knew that technology is not always used effectively. However, this class really gave me a lot of the tools I need to use technology in the classroom in an effective manner that will help me accomodate different types of learners and help those students that need assistance with technology. Without gaining the information I learned in this class, there is a great chance I would not have used technology in a beneficial way or even the possibly I would have used very litle technology at all since I would not know how to use it to benefit all of the different types of students.
Since I know there is so much more to learn about educational technology, I will use what I learned in this class as a basis to continue my education in learning about the capabilities and benefits of using technology. I think that it is very important to continue learning this information because the generation I will be teaching is growing up in a very technology oriented society. To teach students most effectively, I will be sure to use technology as a way to reach my students. Since this is what they are growing up with and are becoming increasingly informed about, I must continue to explore more and more ways to teach with technology in my classroom.

Reflection

When we began this semester, I thought that I knew a lot about technology and its integration in the classroom.  More specifically, I thought I knew a lot about the failure of technology in the classroom.  Like most of the other students in the classroom, I had seen a lot of PowerPoint presentations that bored me to tears, but seemed to be what teachers thought was "educational technology."  Throughout the course, I've learned to expand my definition of educational technology.  I probably never would have thought to incorporate a classroom blog or a classroom web-page in my future classroom if I had not experienced how efficient they were in this class.  Also, I have begun to look at educational technology differently.  While I always knew that Assistive Technology could help students with disabilities, I never thought that incorporating different assistive technologies, like UDL technologies, could help typical students.

As the semester is coming to a close, I hope to continue to learn more about technologies that can support the different learning styles of my students.  In addition, I hope to learn more about the current and emerging technologies that may be particularly helpful in the classroom.  Finally, I hope that I will learn about the technologies that my students are using and be able to either incorporate them in the classroom, or be able to make comparisons between educational technologies and everyday technologies to highlight the application of educational technology features in the real world.

Final Blog

Like most students my experiences with technology in school haven't been the best. I have had teachers who have tried to use technology in the classroom without really knowing what they were doing. It is very frustrating as a student to have teachers who are inexperienced with the technology they are attempting to use. Through this course we have learned a lot about using technology in the classroom. I have learned about how to use it (technology), when it is appropriate to use, and about different technologies I can use in the classroom. By taking this course I hope not to be one of those inexperienced teachers I talked about. I will try my best to remember what I have learned in this class and apply it to my lesson plans when I become a teacher. In my opinion, one of the best things I have learned through this course is about the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). I think that using technology in the classroom is a great was to engage all types of learners. When I begin to teach one of my main goals will be to use technology effectively in the classroom, so that the curriculum that I am teaching appeals to all types of learners. I would like to keep learning about technology while I move further towards my teaching career. I would like to keep learning about different and new types of instructional technology. I think that it is very important for teachers, especially new teachers, to be educated in using technology in the classroom. This is because todays' students are known as the 'technology generation', by knowing how to use technology in the classroom we will be able to appeal to this young generation.
Kathlyn K.

Yellow Group

At first thought, I don’t tend to think of things such as – cell phones, video games, You Tube, social network sites, etc., - as technologies that should be incorporated into teaching. Thinking about it a little deeper, I realize that some of these things could in fact be very useful in the classroom. I think the reason I don’t tend to think about incorporating them into teaching is because I often view them as forms of entertainment. I do see the value of using them in the classroom. Social networking sites can be used to communicate, just like how we use the discussion board on blackboard. Certain video games can be used such as Math Blaster, which teaches students how to solve math problems. When I think of video games, I tend to forget that they have ones specifically designed for an educational purpose. You Tube is absolutely one piece of technology that I think can be very useful in teaching. I have already seen teachers incorporate video clips from You Tube into their lessons. I think as generations advance we will see more of the technologies we use every day outside the classroom being used inside the classroom as well.

John Wagner

Yellow Group

There are a lot of technologies that would be appropriate for in classroom use and for outside the classroom use such as for homework and projects. We learned about different technologies during the Software Evaluation projects. These software are very useful for review of what was learned in class.
I think that technologies we use everyday should not be incorporated into the classroom. There are some exceptions such as students exchanging cell phone numbers for homework or help needed after class, facebook groups to discuss projects or homework, and email addresses to also discuss homework and/or projects.

Yellow Group

Certain technologies can be very beneficial in a classroom, or for students to use after class as review. We saw several examples of these during our Software Evaluation Projects. Each software evaluated proved to be- in one way or another- useful to the students and teachers. There are also websites, set up by schools, that allow teachers to post their homework, policies, and contact information for parents. These software were designed for students and teacher usage, and therefore were helpful and appropriate.
I do not know of the appropriateness of using technologies that I use everyday. I cannot imagine that a cell phone would be of use in a classroom. It would not be bad for students to exchange cellphone numbers or email addresses with eachother for projects or if a student misses classes. However, I do not think it would be appropriate for a teacher and student to exchange a phone number for obvious reason.
I certainly do not think twitter or myspace would be very useful for students or teachers. First of all, I do not really like twitter. It is not very helpful, other than allowing one to "follow" people and see status updates. Myspace has become the ultimate spot for spam and other un-scholarly advertisements, making it, in my opinion, not appropriate at all for a classroom of any age. It also does not really have any applications that would be useful.
Another technology I use daily is facebook. Although, facebook may have some silly applications that would not seem useful to a classroom, it would allow for a group to be created, in an environment, not bombarded by advertisements. I feel that facebook has an overall cleaner look to it than myspace would. I also think that it is more private than myspace. As a teacher, I would not feel uncomfortable with my students maybe having a group/page that allows them to post questions to each other about materials they are learning. But I do not think I would allow them to use facebook during class time. I think that would just lead to them wasting the period looking at other people's facebook pages, as opposed to paying attention to the lesson. I also would not have a problem with the usage of blogs, like the one we are using now. Blogs as a simple, straightforward, way for students to post their information on the Internet for other students and teachers to view. I would make sure to use proper privacy settings on the blogs.
Technologies of any kind have their own advantages and disadvantages. Some are more appropriate for a classroom than others. Ultimately, I think it is up to the teacher to decide what they find appropriate and useful in their classrooms.
~Laura Miranda

Yellow Group

When asked to create a list of technologies that would be incorporated into classroom use, I'm not surprised that everyday technologies like Facebook, blogs, Twitter, video games, and You Tube do not come to mind immediately.  While some of these technologies may be useful for instruction, I think that there are many reasons why teachers should be careful to integrate them into the classroom for instructional purposes.  First, the "everyday technologies" of teachers, like Facebook and blogs, are also the "everyday technologies" of students, especially students at the secondary level.  Because many of these technologies include personal information about teachers' and students' private lives, not to mention their personal opinions about non-academic material, it is important to respect the privacy of and private spaces created by teachers and students alike outside of the classroom.  Second, "everyday technologies" are often harder to filter for content-appropriateness.  For example, because sites like blogs and You Tube are user-driven, students may stumble upon inappropriate videos or blogs.  In addition, students may use these technologies to search for non-academic materials which may create distractions in the learning environment.  Third, some parents may not feel comfortable with their children using open technologies like blogs or technologies that show personal information, like Facebook.

Those these concerns are all valid, "everyday technologies" could still be used effectively as a supplement to the classroom.  For example, teachers may have students swap AIM screen names and email addresses in order to find out about make-up assignments or to communicate outside of school for group projects.  Also, teachers might set up discussion boards for the class to access outside of school to study collaboratively before a major exam.  Though these technologies may not be entirely appropriate for whole-class, in-school use, they may facilitate learning outside of the classroom and foster a community of learning in a digital space.

Question:
In the technology integration scenarios that you’ve worked on in class, I haven’t seen many examples that incorporate technologies that you probably use every day – cell phones, video games, You Tube, social network sites, maybe Twitter, blogs… (what else am I missing?). Why do you think that you don’t tend to think of those technologies when you’re asked to incorporate technology? Do you think they might in fact be useful, or do you see a disconnect between your personal technology use, and technologies you’d consider using in your teaching? If so, why?


It's not that I do not believe that we should leave the technologies we use every day out of our integration, but that they are harder to monitor and filter. Some content may not be suitable for use in a classroom, and teachers need to be aware of that. These types of technologies may be useful in the classroom, but there is also a line that needs to be drawn, some things such as Facebook and Twitter are more personal and in my opinion have less of a place in the classroom. I'm not familiar at all with using a cell phone as classroom technology (other than our text messaging system here at Towson), but would be willing to use it given the proper information on how to incorporate it. Also, for sites such as facebook and twitter, they may be useful for certiain age groups (I'm thinkking more like high school and college) to be used for discussion and even something like a "buddy system" for missed notes and assignments.
~Stacey Rogers

Green Group

I would not typically incorporate these types of personal technologies into the classroom because I feel like they could easily be a distraction. If a student were assigned to use YouTube, a social networking site, or even a cell phone, there are very many options accessible to the student that would keep the from staying on task. From my own personal experience, being on the Internet alone was enough of a distraction. I was easily capable of surfing other websites instead of completing the assignment. By students actually being on one of the websites students most likely use during their free time, they will be even more tempted to wander off task.

In certain situations, I do think this technology could be useful. I think that by incorporating blogs can make it easy for students to share ideas with their classmates and read about their peers' perspectives on different topics. I also think social networking sites can be useful in group projects in which students have to work outside of class. However, other than what I listed above, I do not see how many of the other personal technologies can be incorporated in the classroom and be beneficial to the students' learning. As I mentioned in my examples, I think that these types of personal technologies would best be incorporated outside of the classroom. Clearly, staying in contact with students is sometimes necessary outside of class and these types of technologies would provide an easy means to do so. However, actually incorporating them in in-class activities would only provide distraction. When students are in school, there are many times the students are looking for ways to have fun and pass time. If they have the opportunity to use websites that they could find some type of enjoyment out of in school, they would most likely take advantage of the situation. Therefore, I think it is necessary for educators to use their best judgment in choosing the technologies they use in their classrooms. I know when I become a teach, my incorporation of personal technologies will be scarce and will only be used in appropriate situations.