EDUC 6665: Technology, Leadership, and a Vision for the Future, Reflective Essay 1

EDUC 6665: Technology, Leadership, and a Vision for the Future, Reflective Essay 1

Information Literacy

There are many unknowns in our world today, especially what the job market will be like for children presently in school. Dr. Thornburg notes that 80% of the new jobs in the next 20 years haven’t even been identified yet in his video Preparing Studnets for a Changing World. Utilizing the internet and investigating innovating companies allows students to get glimps of what is in the work world today.

In the past I have taught a Writing Intensive class to juniors and seniors in high school. During one unit, students chose a community business that they were interested in and set up a visit with the business. During the visit, the students asked questions regarding how writing and language arts skills were used in the work place. The students had fun and received new perspectives on different jobs in the work place. The community businesses helped to show a learning community as they took time to show students their companies and answered student questions about them and how writing and communicating skills were used.

As I reflect on my Writing Intensive class, I would have students do more literacy research on the businesses before requesting a visit. Many businesses today have their own internet site that provides company information. I would also have students think of possible suggestions they could make to improve company web sites. After the business visits, I would like to have students share and reflect what they learned. I didn’t do too much of that with them in the past. I would like to ask students what they would do differently or in addition to if they owned the business. Students could also see how and what technology tools are used in businesses today.

In the video Preparing Studnets for a Changing World, I agree with Dr. Thornburg’s theory of “Flow.” As teachers, we need to find that level of instruction in which students are not bored because they find the material too easy, nor have anxiety because the material is too hard. The flow area goes back and forth between comfort and challenge to keep students in the ‘flow’ that allows them to keep moving forward. They lose track of time as they work with their new material and skill.

Finding this flow would not be as difficult if every child learned the same way. Unfortunately, that is not true. The flow for one student may be completely different for another. That is why it is important to have differientated lessons and choices for students to make regarding what they will be doing. Technology provides more choices and tools for teachers to use in finding every students’ flow zone.

Reflective Practice: Since I am not teaching full-time, I have had more time to reflect on my teaching and ways it can be modified to support more student learning. The “paper-trained” mindset is one area that is difficult for me yet. This concept was discussed in week two: Emerging Technologies: New Tools for New Ways of Learning. The concept is to move away from copying everything and having students print off all written assignments. Instead, they could email them or post blogs on the classroom web site. The blogs allow fellow students to read the writings and provide their own comments. Other web sites like fanfaction.net, the Journal Zone, and Groove.net provide peer-to-peer applications for students to share and comment on each others’ work. Reading the writings of other students may also generate new ideas for students, or help them get going with their first draft. As I reflect on my past lessons, I make notes for future changes.

Teamwork/Collegiality:

I also file new ideas from both students and fellow teachers. While substituting, I have been able to survey a variety of grade levels on their use of technology inside and outside of school. The surveys helped me see how much more students are using technology at home, and it gave me many ideas to include in the classroom, one being the use of MP3 players in the classroom.

I also have browed or investigated many internet site recommendations from fellow Walden students/teachers. A book blog resource at http://www.21classes.com/ is one of them. I see many benefits of using classroom blogs and would like to practice writing more of my own using Education World web site and other sites that have teacher sharing posts. Podcasts and Podomatic.com are technology tools that I want to use and be comfortable using with students.

It is amazing all of the wonderful ideas and suggestions I have gotten from fellow Walden University students. Just in our last chapter discussion on building learning communities, I have received many excellent ideas that I did not think of. A lot of times, we are focused on one track or line of thinking. The communicating with others and being open to ideas allows us to receive many more ideas that may work wonderfully or may be stored for future potential. For my Family Literacy Night program, I thought of parents and authors to add as potential readers. Janna suggested local businesses like the public library and police station to have a station to share their favorite books. It makes perfect sense, but because I was focused on authors and parents, I had not thought of that.

Jami provided sites for book reviews, a suggestion for students to do. Laura shared what her school does for Literacy Night, and that gave me many ideas to look into. Her school has a literacy night once a month with different grades sharing and families being able to check out a bag of books for the entire family. Each month also has its own theme.

There are so many ideas we can get from each other to help us grow as teachers and meet more of our students’ needs. Sharing is critical for continued success.

Thanks for listening to my first podcast. Have a great week.