Reflective Post

Though this was a fairly hectic course, it was to be expected, what with so much pivotal information crammed into a summer semester. Regardless, I am glad for the difficulties; teaching is a noble, ancient profession, and many claim that America has fallen behind other countries where education is concerned. It's important to raise the standards for our teachers and ensure our future is in able hands.

I think perhaps the greatest challenge presented itself during the collaborative lesson plan project. Getting started on this assignment proved difficult as some were unfamiliar with the intricacies of Canvas inbox messaging and the Collaborations tab. This was especially so since it came after the Instructional Strategies Wiki, where a webpage was set up for all group members to communicate through. Once these challenges were overcome, however, I found that all my classmates were eager to do their part to contribute and did so enthusiastically and respectfully.

The textbook also proved to be an excellent resource, with thorough, straightforward content that facilitated the weekly assessments (though they may have not always have been submitted in a timely fashion).

The greatest takeaway from this course was perhaps the increased awareness and familiarity with sites such as Weebly, which are not only relevant in teaching but in many other endeavors one may wish to embark upon. The e-portfolio seemed intimidating in the beginning, but once properly acquainted with it, it seemed only too easy to navigate, and now a foundation has been built for us that will carry us into our fields, whether or not we choose to continue with education.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

cunytv75. (2012, July 30). Education Forum: Requirements for Teacher's Education. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB1bev_eaqw

Digital Blog Post #F - Chapters 11 & 12

The concept of a teacher's e-portfolio is an interesting yet frightening one, as explored in chapter 11. More and more, teachers are expected to maintain a number of relevant skills, and an understanding and familiarity with technology is foremost among them. It's an increasingly competitive field, and all aspiring teachers have cause for concern if their technology-related skills are not up to snuff. Building an impressive résumé was already a fairly daunting task; for someone just breaking into their profession, presenting a blank portfolio to an employee can be a worrisome experience. Perhaps these skills will soon be taught not only in technology-oriented courses, but as part as the general curriculum in K-12 grades.

The idea of democratic schools and classrooms, also discussed in chapter 11, seems rather appealing from a student's point of view, and perhaps certain teachers. I've always believed in more specialized education so that students may focus on areas in which they naturally excel, rather than being corralled into courses which will negatively impact their overall performance because they lack an aptitude for them. However, many issues come into play. At what age is a student mature enough to decide that they will only focus on certain subjects? Should they change their mind at a certain point in the future, they would likely have fallen severely behind.

Chapter 12 focuses somewhat on similar topics from previous discussions, particularly the subject of technological inequality as it relates to a person's racial/ethnic and financial background. Children in higher-income households have a marked advantage over those who have no access to the Internet or technology of any kind from their home. Thus, in an increasingly technological world, students in low-income homes invariably lag behind and have greater difficulty succeeding in their 21st century studies. That may prove to be one of the greatest challenges for teachers of the next generation. As we integrate technology into our classrooms, we must challenge ourselves to also expand the knowledge of those students who lack access from home.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Schools of Trust / Vertrauen ins Lernen. (2013, March 23). English Trailer - Schools of Trust (A documentary about democratic schools). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfHrgRITnVM

Digital Blog Post #E - Chapters 4 & 9

The idea of academic content, explored in chapter 4, in one that has greatly interested me since even before I decided I wanted to become an educator. I've always been baffled by how teachers maneuver each day of the year so that it is not repetitive and something new is always being covered. Certainly this is not always the case, and over the years many classes in K-12 were dull and thoroughly uninteresting, but it is not where I want to be as a teacher myself. Some may argue that they are limited because local curriculums and national standards don't provide guidelines for every single day of instruction, but it seems as though that would be more freeing than having to follow a step-by-step program. If one is truly interested in education, there is more freedom there to teach what one believes is most important and what will benefit their particular set of children, with whom they'd be better acquainted than any department of education official. Though this might prove to be a greater challenge, it is also likely to provide the greatest reward, as there is room to tailor lessons to the students' needs.

Chapter 4 also touches on using technology in lesson planning. Not only does the Internet provide innumerable resources to enhance original lessons, there are many websites dedicated to gathering successful ones from teachers all over the world, ready to be reused at a moment's notice. The greatest advantage is that you should never feel limited in what you can teach, or unprepared, because you have, quite literally, a world of resources at your fingertips.

As an aspiring writer and Language Arts/English/Creative Writing teacher, I'm excited about the idea of digital storytelling explored in chapter 9. Naturally I look forward to innovative ways in which people, particularly students, can share their original stories with the rest of the world. Though I hope that, moving forward, the digitalization of nearly everything won't extend to the written format for novels that have endured the test of time, this method hopefully acts as a gateway into other forms of sharing stories that will motivate students involved to explore even further.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

NDTV. (2014, November 19). How can technology aid a teacher's lesson plan? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wWOemO9ihY

Digital Blog Post #D - Chapters 6 & 10

Chapter 6 touches briefly on the rather large and steadily expanding topic of videoconferencing. Videoconferencing is perhaps one of the most powerful education-enhancing technology tools of the 21st century, given its ability to expand learning beyond the classroom, or indeed, the country. The developments that led up to the creation of videoconferencing eventually became the foundation for online school, from which many benefit today. Videoconferencing itself is now an ever more popular way of arranging the online classroom and may well be the standard in the near future. Like anything else, however, this development has its detractors, and many raise valid concerns. The Internet has given rise to many more issues and safety concerns than had to be dealt with previously. I previously discussed cyberbullying for a similar topic. In this case, it seems like access to private live feed with children opens the door to behavior that we must do our best to prevent and educate students on. Those fears, however, should not hold us back from progress, and this may well be the tool we need to reach underprivileged children in remote areas of the world without access to adequate instruction.

We've done a fairly splendid job worldwide of recognizing education as a basic human right, but it seems only very recent that we've made a concerted effort to ensure that all, without exception, have easy access to it. Chapter 10 speaks on assistive technology and its many branches, and how it can be used to extend learning to all persons, no matter their physical or mental disability. Beyond that, however, it seems assistive technology is also beneficial to students who have no technical need for it, if only in that it serves to bring awareness of those circumstances to those who might not be familiar with them. A child who sees a classmate in need of a special accommodation is exposed to the individual differences and needs of humanity, a more intangible but no less valuable lesson.

Chapter 10 also discusses a system for education, derived from the field of architecture, known as the universal design for learning. While I appreciate the idea behind this, I'm not sure that I can support it fully. I feel as though a large part of the problem with modern education is that it is too broad, and students are not given much reign in choosing what they would like to learn. While I understand the value of a general education and embrace it, I feel that, moving forward, a more individualized approach might be the better option as to bring out an individual child's full potential.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

MultiSense Comms. (2011, November 2). Videoconferencing in Education. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t6MD_I0t9U

Digital Blog Post #C - Chapters 7 & 8

Chapter 7 dedicated a section of its content to a subject that is near and dear to my heart: the use of video games as a tool for learning, one that was of great importance to me as an ELL student. Several professionals have concluded that on top of being an invaluable aid to teaching, educational games allow their players to develop skills essential to a technology-driven 21st century society, such as strategic thinking, interpretive analysis, and adaptation to rapid change. There was also something quite interesting explored in this section, coined by MIT researchers as the "five essential freedoms of learning:" the freedom to fail, experiment, fashion identities, effort, and interpretation. I believe it's pivotal for teachers moving forward to recognize the value of these games and incorporate into the daily experience of their classrooms.

Further explored in chapter 7 are the attitudes of parents and teachers still coping with the psychological and sociological impact on children who spend a great deal of time immersed in video games. Many of these people raise valid concerns; some believe that there's been a desensitization to real-life violence, while others fight to promote a more positive understanding of the gaming aspect of the 21st century. Whichever side ultimately prevails, if either does, it is pivotal for educators to remain in the loop while this debate is ongoing, so that we may make the best choices that will benefit our students the most.

Chapter 8 covers the concept of electronic student-teacher communication. It's interesting to see tools we have been using throughout this course already discussed in such detail in our text. Blogs and wikis are but two of several tools many educators are employing in the 21st century to remain in contact with their students beyond the classroom and enhance learning for everyone involved.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Edutopia. (2012, March 21). James Paul Gee on Learning with Video Games. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnEN2Sm4IIQ

Digital Blog Post #B - Chapters 3 & 5

Chapter 3 dedicated a subsection to creativity and the way it's being redefined in today's educational climate, and to how it has evolved over time to incorporate a wider variety of philosophies. The book proposes that creativity is not necessarily, as it is often defined, being able to create things never before seen by the world, but rather something more intimate. People often say that there is a lack of originality in the world today, citing familiar storylines in books and repetitive drivel in TV shows. But perhaps creativity and originality don't have to be synonymous. "The creative act can be what is new to the individual, not new to the world." Computers are now allowing for students to express themselves in new ways that are meaningful for themselves, not just others.

As an aspiring writer, the notion of e-reading and e-books is one that fascinates and frightens me at the same time, and it's one chapter 5 touches on. It talks about the rapidly changing reading habits of people across all age groups, but particularly children, who spend so much of their time online they hardly find time for pleasure reading. With so many companies making e-books easily accessible and "digitalizing" something as time-tested as reading, it'll be interesting to see what turns publishing heads as go we into the next decades. Perhaps e-reading will motivate children who are difficult to separate from their computers to read more often.

Another issue chapter 5 touches on is one that has arisen in recent years as a direct consequence of technological advancement: cyberbullying. Computers and social networking have given bullies new venues to torture their victims, and it has become a serious issue for schools. Some believe that the perceived anonymity one attains through the web wrongfully gives perpetrators the idea that their actions are permissible or inconsequential. As we prepare our students for a future in the world of electronics, we must also teach them the importance of behaving ethically online, as one would in "real life." The web has become such a permanent part of our daily lives that it is "real life," and it's vital to recognize that the people with whom we interact in the virtual world are as real as though we interact with phyisically.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Strutt Central. (2012, March 22). THE CYBER BULLYING VIRUS. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5PZ_Bh-M6o

Digital Blog Post #A - Chapters 1 & 2

One of the most interesting concepts explored in chapter 1 is the use of technology today among children. According to the book's information, today's 12 to 18-year-olds are part of the iGeneration, and have never known a world in which there are no cell phones, or Internet access. This fact puts into perspective the importance of being tech-savvy for teachers today. Many of those currently aspiring to be educators were not brought up with technology as an everyday reality, certainly not the kind available today. Already it is heavily incorporated into classrooms; there exist very few without Smart Boards anymore. Online classes become more prevalent every semester. It'll be interesting to see how the classroom, and education at large, is transformed in the coming decades.

Chapter 1 also goes on to talk about the importance of building a digital identity as an educator, or indeed any professional. That sounded fairly intimidating; the book mentions that along with a digital identity comes a "personal commitment to innovation." Constantly reinventing one's career sounds like a massive, frightening undertaking, and I hope I'll be up to the task when the time comes. In the meantime, it's good to know that technology-related skills can be a part of one's resume in the 21st century.

For all the talk about new technologies and an ever-evolving world, however, we don't seem to be any closer to figuring out how best to help "low-income, nonwhite, urban, and rural youngsters" who lack access to these latest inventions and are thus being left severely behind, as talked about in chapter 2. Many kids currently don't have access to technology outside of their school environment, which can be a hindrance to their performance, and that is unlikely to change. I worry about how I might be able to handle situations like that in the future, and hope that I can wrangle a solution that will be in my students' best interests.

Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.