All Aboard!!!

WOW! I have really learned a lot from this one course. Not only did I learn a tremendous amount of new things, but I was also able to reconfirm what I already knew and why I do the things I do in my classroom. I had heard of blogging, wikis, and podcasting prior to this course but did not really know much about them and certainly did not know how beneficial they could be in the classroom. I feel more comfortable now that I know what my students will need to know and be able to use when they enter the workplace. This course really opened my eyes to how I can use technology to allow the students to have more ownership of their work and also allow more people to see and hear what they have been doing in the classroom.

I have never been much of the teacher centered type; however, I am guilty of being somewhat of a perfectionist, so I tend to do things myself instead of letting the students take a little more initiative. For example, I would allow my students to type one or maybe to of their formal writing assignments just because it takes the students a long time to get it all typed. I found myself occasionally typing their papers for them so that I did not waste time. One goal that I would like to set for myself is to not only allow them to type their assignments but also allow them to record themselves using Audacity and create a podcast for others to hear. Allowing them the chance to record themselves is one way that I can incorporate 21st century skills into the classroom.

Another goal I have set for myself is to create a room of bloggers and hopefully get other teachers in my building doing the same. I have a school supported website where I have added a blogging page. I have many different ideas that I want to use this page for, I just am not sure which one would be best to start (blogging about books they read, blogging about what we did in class, questions for them to respond to, or allowing them to just write whatever is on their mind). I got a lot of really good ideas from this course and it is hard for me to narrow them down and choose just one or two to start with so I don't overwhelm myself or the students.

Technology has entered our world and is here to stay. It is time for all teachers and schools to jump on board and prepare our students for the future ahead of them using 21st century tools and skills. It's not about us, it's about what is best for the students. Knowing what skills the students will need to have is one step in the right direction in preparing them to be successful in school, the workplace, and in life.