From+my+hear

From My Heart I learned a lot about myself this semester from this class. More specifically, I learned that I can thrive in the midst of a heavy workload. Coupled with all the work from my other classes, I had a ton of work to do each and every week. But instead of blowing things off as I had done in the past, I made sure to turn in every assignment with a quality I can be proud of.

Being a teacher means working long hours and functioning on a minuscule amount of sleep. This profession requires passion and a work ethic I had not considered. I feel all the more prepared for that amount of work because of this class. Some people might be turned off due to that amount of work but those people are not meant to be teachers.

Of all my products, I am most proud of the amalgamation of my work. I know, this sounds like a copout, but I assure anyone reading this that it is not. How exceptionally difficult it was to choose one assignment I was more proud of than another! I think that is a testament to the quality of this class. I didn’t phone in any assignment; therefore it is the culmination of the entire wiki that make me proud.

Next time I write a unit with heavy technological integration, I will backwards design it. In other words, I will look at the technological aspects first then write my unit to fit it. That kind of design was, however, impossible in this class because I was introduced to so many tools I had, obviously, no experience with. Now that I know the benefits and drawbacks of each, I’m certain I could create a unit with the technology in mind first.

I am concerned with the financial issues inherit with technology. I plan on teaching in at risk schools so I’m sure many of my students with not have the experience or the opportunity to enjoy these uses of technology. The only fix lies with the school itself. We must have computers to gain said opportunity and I must give extra time to the class to become familiarized with the technology.

I am most concerned with classroom management. With poor classroom management comes poor learning opportunities. But if I can keep the students engaged, this wont be an issue. Technology is a wonderful tool in sustaining that engagement.

I am most excited to be taught how to use technology by my students. I know that some of them will be more familiar with it than I. By allowing students to teach the teacher they will gain confidence, learn more, and become comfortable with the teacher.

As far as becoming a teacher in general, I am so excited to build relationships with kids. I can’t wait to be a positive influence in their lives and open their world to new ideas and the such. Because of this class, I will be a 21st century teacher. Before EDT, I planned on only lecturing and incorporating computers only in its typing facet. Now however, I realize that technology can bridge the gap between 40-hour knowledge and 40-year knowledge. I will definitely use these tools in my classroom and I think Dr. McGregor and her class may be the reason a generation of my students will be more engaged and genuinely learn in an authentic manner.