What elements of your teaching practice would be effective in an online learning environment, and what would need to be adjusted, or modified to allow you to successfully work with students within an online learning environment?
Looking back at where I started and where I am now, I see two different people. In June of last year, I left University of New Haven, talking to my friend questioning my decision to be a part of the #itdml program. I felt as though technology was overwhelming and intimidating.
Today, I feel more confident with my technological skills but not as much as I feel I need to be to fully integrate it into my classroom. Some elements I could bring to my practice are evident now. I curate online test using Google Forms and have developed various digital based assignments. I have also tried to stretch my limits and create a flipped classroom lesson.
I teach at an inner city school but feel privileged because all of my students were given school issued tablets. With all the students acquiring tablets, I feel this has pushed me to use technology more in my classroom than most teachers. The environment is ideal to fully engulf myself in a digital classroom but I still feel there needs to be some changes to not only my teaching, but also my philosophy and learning environment.
For example, I would change my environment by issuing the same tablet each student has to the teachers. There are many things I would like to do with my students; however, their tablet does not have the same capability as the computer in the classroom. I am unable to see what the students see and they see a different screen then what might be posted on the classroom computer. This not only causes confusion for me but also for my students especially those who are lower level learners.
Some things I would change about my teaching style is confidence. I have a lack of confidence when it comes to technology. Fear is the main feeling I get when I try and integrate technology into my classroom. Fear of the information not saving and fear of monitoring the information when students share online. To ease some of my fears I have slowly started to integrate Google into my classroom. The students share information with me and I am able to make comments and share them back to the students. I am still dragging when it comes to requiring students to share their information online. Unfortunately, my fear is the responsibility of monitoring the online program. What if a student says or posts something inappropriate. Although this may be rare, it is still a fear I feel most teachers have but may not talk about.
The #itdml program has equipped me with many resources I will be using in my classroom. Some of these resources include Google Classroom, Google Forms, Google Slides, Google Docs, Newsela, Popplet, storify and many more. The program has also allowed me to entertain ideas of global competency through program such as #walkmyworld and iEarn
Technology is an ever changing platform to integrate a vast amount of information to an extreme population. Technology has proved to me, learning can happen anytime, anywhere and at any age. I feel more comfortable with using digital tools in my classroom and hope to continue my learning with this field. Since starting the #itdml program, I have been placed on the blended learning committee and asked to take charge of the new mastery based learning health class we will provide to our students next year. The class will include a mixture of MOOC's, digital text and classroom seat time. Overall I do believe technology provides our students with a "level playing field". Not only can students access a wide variety of information but they can also be in contact with professionals in various subject areas. The most important thing about technology I have learned not only about myself but in general are:
- It will fail at least once
- Not all students know how to properly use technology
- Learning is fun for the students when they are curate online
- I can do this!
- Google classroom and Google+ are great places to share information
Ultimately, I do feel I have grown as a learner and an educator. I feel like I have more confidence with technology than when I started teaching. I still feel there is a long way to go, but that is only one of the limitations of technology, it is always changing so you must be up to date with the information.
Lifelong learning journey.
ReplyDelete