I Just Keep Learning!

This course has really helped me both personally and professionally. We live in a technology rich environment and we need to prepare our students with the 21st century skills. David Warlick explained, “We live in a time of rapid change. We are preparing our kids for a future we can’t clearly describe” (Laureate Education, 2009).

The most striking revelation that I had from this course was that I have been underestimating some of my student's computer abilities. I was very nervous about letting the students do an open research project, but I was very surprised with how well it went. I was thankful to have a handful of students that did so well that they could help some of the less tech savvy students. I also enjoyed using the bookmarking site. It made it very easy for each of my students to get to the sites that I wanted them to use without having to save them on each of the computers or having to type the addresses in. I will definitely be using this site for my personal sites as well.

In the future I will be much more open to having my students research on the Internet. I would like to start working with the computers and Internet right from the beginning of the year. I would like to do the "Reliable vs. Unreliable" website check at the beginning of the year, therefore my students will know what to look for when deciding on what websites to use.

Throughout each course I have taken, I have learned a handful of tips and tricks for integrating technology. My goal is to continue to learn and integrate technology in the classroom even after I have completed my masters. I plan to continue to be a part of the technology focus groups in my school district. Another goal I have for myself, is to try something new (technology related) each year with my students. This year I started blogging with my students. Next year I would like to try using Photo Story with them.

Since we are preparing our students for an unpredictable future, we have to teach them how to learn and give them the opportunities and experiences. Technology has so much to offer; it's our job to teach the students how to navigate and use the information they find.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.