Reflection

The only constant in education is change. In order for students today to be prepared for the future work place the must acquire 21st century learning skills. “The ability to learn continuously changing technologies for literacy may be a more critical part than learning any particular technology of literacy itself” (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004, p1605). In completing this course, I am now aware of the preparations I need to take in designing lessons to meet the needs of my students in terms of development of new literacy skills. One step I would like to take towards enhancing my own technology skills is to bring more technology into my classroom through the writing of grants and to use the technology I have to its fullest potential.
In order to keep up with the fast pace of education and technology, both teachers and students must put forth much effort into preparing for the future. One way I believe or students can be more prepared is to revise our Acceptable Use Policy in regards to technology. Most schools already have one in place stating “students will not visit inappropriate websites, use offensive language, plagiarize, or harm the computers” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p56). While I was pleasantly pleased with our districts policy, I believe students need more guidance and direct instruction on the dangers of technology misuse. Because many students are quite familiar with technology use, the are still naïve when I comes to the dangers of misusing technology. I was surprised by what students are automatically expected to know about technology use. I believe that students should be educated on the dangers of internet misuse at the beginning of each school year. This concepts and ideas need to be ingrained in their minds. Students need to see how to use technology through modeling or other activities.
This course has enabled me to take a serious look at how technology is integrated in the classroom. I believe that I will now be able to plan lessons and units that encourage the effective use of technology as learning tools. “Language arts classrooms can be technology-rich environments if you help students understand that technology is an integral part of the classroom curriculum” (Cennamo, Ross & Ertmer, 2009, p190). I believe that if I approach my unit plans as I did for this course that I will be able to ensure that I am utilizing technology in my classroom efficiently and effectively to create memorable learning experiences. I will go through a step by step process looking at each part of the lesson to see where I can integrate and how I can integrate technology into the lesson. In planning the unit bit by bit, I will look closely at how I may best utilize technology in the classroom.
One way I intend to enhance my professional development is to learn to use all the available and new technology effectively in the classroom. The first step is to be a self-directed learner and see what available resources I have access to on my own.. I can conduct my own research and look into how others are using the same technology in their own room. I have also had the opportunity to observe in another classroom to see how technology is being utilized there. I plan to continue my professional development through the classes needed to complete this degree. I also plan to attend available conferences that will enable me to enhance my classroom practice in the terms of integrating technology effectively. I will take what I am learning and develop units that promote the use and development of new literacy skills.
This course has enabled me to learn about the new literacy skills necessary for students to learn and develop in order to be successful in the future. Many students still do not have access to technology at home and are reliant on what they learn at school. I believe that it is pertinent that I utilize all available technology as often as possible in order to provide these students with the education they need to be successful in the future.


Resouces
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards Based Approach.