Maria+Final+Reflection

Maria Final Reflection

Dear Dr. McGregor, Hello! I enjoyed your class and it is one of the best classes I’ve taken at KSU. I only have 1 more class to graduate and planning to take it this summer. If you have a summer course through KSU, please share the information. If there were a graduate program that emphasized technology, I would seriously continue to take classes to do just that. That was the one thing I learned about taking this course, that I want to learn more and be able to teach my students how to use technology.

I learned how wonderful technology is when it works and how difficult it is when it doesn’t. I was able to see how my students felt when they created an amazing product and feel the pain of working on it, when technology was not working for me. I am most proud of being able to use a microphone and produce a podcast. That is one of the things I’ve always wanted to learn but never knew how. I am planning on doing that with my students and giving them the power to create. The one concern I have about technology and teaching is being able to have my students use technology as a tool rather than a toy. I try my best to monitor and provide them with engaging lessons but I always have that one student that tries to be sneaky. That one student would rather be chatting with their friends than creating on the iPad. That’s hard not to take personal because they are my students.

I use technology in my classroom on a daily basis. There are times when I take a technology time out. I also do many hands-on projects as they build models or draw a project. I think it is important for students to know how to build and create with their hands. I want to learn what Genius Hour is and see if it something I can do in my classroom. I am not sure if it is a technology or hands-on thing. I am intrigued with coding as I see many teachers doing this in their classrooms across the U.S. I am clueless on coding and would love to know how to do this. I am most intrigued with the different type of creations a student can produce in the classroom. We are limited because we only have iPads. I would love to get a set of chrome books and have a Minecraft club. I want my students to break that gap they have between high achieving students and where they are. I know technology breaks down some of those barriers. I am excited to teach them new ways to learn and receive information. I love giving them technology tools to use and set them free to create. I think I am a 21st century teacher with a bit of the 20th century. I say that because I do believe students need a bit of the “old” school teaching because there are some old school strategies that are great tools too.

The difference I want to make with my students are when they enter my classroom, they feel safe enough to fail. I want my students to feel like when they fail, they use it as a step to grow. I want my students to taste success and know ways to be successful, not only in the classroom but in their lives. The curriculum I teach is only a piece of what I want my students to learn. I believe that is how I will make a difference in their lives.

Sincerely, “Maria” Lorena Baker