Course Reflection Integrating technology into the classroom is an aspect of education that is gaining popularity. As the workplace evolves and upgrades technology, so must education. I have personally received an upgrade in technology recently in my school. New laptops, kindles, IPads, desktop computers and Smartboards have been installed throughout the school. The arrival of new technology has influenced me to learn more about using the technology in my classroom. Over the past few weeks, I have become familiar with integrating wikis, podcasts, and blogs in education. All of the technology seems useful in the future to connect students, parents and teachers. Learning about integrating technology into the classroom has given me a better perspective of the teaching and learning process. The field of education is changing and teachers need to change to reach the needs of all students. Today’s students are digital natives who require 21st-century skills in order to succeed. I believe teachers should embrace technology and use it to their advantage whenever possible to help prepare students for the future. Teachers should design lesson plans that implement technology and promote collaboration. Technology is a powerful tool that allows students to communicate, research and learn very efficiently, and teachers should use these outlets to their advantage. Technology allows students to explore and be independent during the learning process while using problem-solving skills. Teachers are able to use time more efficiently and guide the student as they explore and learn instead of teaching to the student constantly. Setting up blogs and wikis for communication and learning will allow students to learn on their own as well as from each other. In the future I will continue to expand my knowledge of technology by completing the Technology certification program at Walden University. I also plan to enroll in Professional Development classes offered through my district that will assist me in utilizing any new technology offered. I also plan to use most of the skills learned thus far including wikis and blogs for students to collaborate and use interactively. As the landscape of technology and teaching change, I intend to stay modern and open-minded in my own practices. Within the next two years, I have a few goals I would like to achieve using technology in the classroom. The first goal involves using a blog in the classroom. According to Richardson (2010), blogs can play an important part in the classroom. I would like to incorporate a blog specifically in the areas of Language Arts and Social Studies. Students can write reflections on class readings and also respond to the reflections of others. This will help improve collaboration and communication between classmates and also touch on typing, reading and comprehension skills. I would also like to employ a wiki in the classroom when assigning group work. Students can post information found for research projects on the wiki and participation can easily be monitored. The use of a wiki would also give students the opportunity to comprehend, type and communicate. Overall, utilizing technology in the classroom will benefit both teachers and students by requiring 21st-century skills and completing tasks more efficiently. References Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Podcast

This podcast is the views of 3 students regarding technology.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

The website Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a collection of education, business and government leaders who want to see children succeed in school and beyond. The group works to ensure that students receive all the tools necessary to achieve their full potential. The site calls for students to actively engage in projects and real world experiences to demonstrate mastery of concepts. It's good to see an emphasis on real world application rather than just studying for a test. The site offers a tremendous amount of information for interested viewers.

It was surprising to see that the site did not have a specific section for parents. Parents play a crucial role in the development of children and many would appreciate any tips available to help their children become well-rounded. Although it is geared towards helping K-12 students, the layout of the website and information available does not seem to be child friendly. The website uses rich vocabulary and has few visuals.

The site also discussed 21st Century Professional Development. This is a way to help support teachers in delivering the information effectively to students using 21st century technology. Many districts have Professional Development, but they do not always teach teachers how to keep students up to par with the global competition in education. Moving forward, hopefully support is provided across the state and nation to integrate new technologies into the classroom.

Being that this partnership is in place, teachers and students in New Jersey will be directly impacted. There is not only a regional, but also a national goal that has been set. Teachers are going to be held accountable to use current strategies and tools to teach children. Children are going to be accountable for achieving requirements that apply to school and the real world. Technology has given us an outlet to knowledge all over the world, and teachers and students should use the tools, just as employees and businesses do.

Blogs and Elementary Education

Blogs can be an extremely effective tool for people of all ages, including elementary school students. I currently co-teach in a fifth grade classroom, and feel that the addition of a classroom weblog would provide students, parents and teachers with a place where they can communicate effectively. A blog site would provide support for students when completing assignments, and allow parents to monitor exactly what is going on in the classroom each day. Teachers can efficiently deliver instructions and assignments.

In my own class, I could set up a blog that has the work from the day posted on it along with the homework. This could give parents of students who might struggle the ability to go back and reinforce the concepts from the day at home. Also, if students are absent for any reason, they could easily log on and check the daily assignments or homework. If students have difficulty or are unclear about expectations, they could post questions and comments to the teachers and each other.

Creating classroom blogs in elementary education can help make a positive home-to-school connection where all parties are involved. Teachers can make sure that everyone is informed about school requirements, functions and events. Students might also be in contact with one another more frequently, therefore developing more positive relationships in the classroom. I look forward to incorporating blogs into my classroom and look forward to seeing the results.