Course Reflection

Course Reflection

During this course I gained at least a nominal familiarity with a variety of different technologies that could potentially be present in a classroom setting. While some of the technologies discussed over the course of the semester seem like they would be relegated to fringe or peripheral uses, many would likely have a lasting and positive effect on content instruction. With the latter forms of technology in mind our coursework explored the myriad advantages and disadvantages associated with each one and how to incorporate them into a classroom setting in order to enhance the learning experiences for the students and the instructional experience for ourselves.

Technology has been growing and developing at a staggering rate in recent years, and its importance in a classroom environment has been likewise progressing. While the fundamentals of learning are and always will be the same, there are definitely benefits to be reaped by supplementing these fundamentals with new technology. The most important thing to remember when deciding whether to use technology, is that one should not try to implement its use where it doesn't belong. Implementing the use of technology where it isn't needed, simply for the thrill of doing something new, or using it just because it is available is a terrible sin to commit against students.

One of the foremost responsibilities a teacher of any sort has is that of proper management of their students' time. One is only allowed a certain amount of time with students in a class session. Every moment of class time should be spent positively and productively. If an teacher is using an inefficient method of instruction then that teacher is wasting valuable time that could be better spent. The wonders of technology can easily lead an instructor down the path of improper and inefficient class time management through its glamour and charm.

That being said, there are many great things that technology brings to the table for a learning environment. The internet, for one, is such a powerful tool for the dispensation of knowledge. Simply based on the sheer amount of information which can be accessed through the internet, its usage in a classroom environment is nearly limitless. There are other technologies which have decent potential, as well. Many of these tools are tied into the internet in some ways, and many more are becoming integrated into the internet as well. Once these technologies have been further explored with a classroom setting in mind, they will become ever more useful to tech-savvy instructors.




Tool Discussions

Flyer

Honestly, I had never bothered to create a flyer for any purpose. However, now that I have spent the time to do it, I understand the worth. I'm not sure I would consider using a Word program to create one in the future, as there are apparently more efficient programs available on the internet for free. That being said, I now have the knowledge to create flyers, which is important.

Excel Progress Chart

The progress chart made with excel was interesting. Excel is capable of much, especially in the hands of someone skilled in using it. I am not skilled in its use. Ultimately, the uses I would find for it would be extremely small in scope; therefore, I would likely get more benefit from just using one of the programs available online for tracking grades and students' progress.

PowerPoint Quiz

The PowerPoint quiz is an interesting idea. It is something that I wouldn't likely have considered using on my own. I like the idea of an interactive quiz. I do not care for the PowerPoint program. If there was maybe another way to effect an interactive quiz without the use of PowerPoint, I would definitely consider it for use in a classroom. Of course, that's assuming that computers are adequately available for student use.

Online Rubric Creator

The online rubric creator seemed particularly handy. It is something that I would definitely consider using in the future, mainly because of the ease of its usage. Rubrics are particularly helpful in English classes for the grading of essays and writing in general. For a presentation I would likely not use a rubric, instead opting for a simpler checklist that can be marked as the student speaks. This is what I have seen instructors use in the past for oral presentations, and it seems the most efficient for grading such things.

Online Puzzle Creator

The puzzle creator is a neat concept. It is not something I would have considered before completing the activity. However, I can see a number of uses for such a thing, as turning the acquisition of knowledge into something of a game can potentially aid in reducing boredom among students. Nothing to be used for major grades, obviously, but something fun to throw into class every now and again.

Online Test Maker

The online test maker wasn't too bad. Easy to use and set up. All options were self-explanatory and didn't require an elaborate understanding of the program. I will likely be using it, or another similar program, in the future to create tests for my classes.

Classroom Website Assignment

The website assignment was very interesting. I like the idea of maintaining a website for students to access. This method of dispensing information is invaluable in its efficiency. It is unreasonable to assume that students won't lose syllabi or forget what their homework assignments are. Also, it is nice for students to be able to access their grades at any given time. Overall I would say that the website assignment has been one of my favourites thus far.

Movie Assignment

The movie assignment's most notable benefit was that it made me learn how to operate Windows Movie Maker. This is a program that I have long neglected, mostly because I have never had much need to utilise it. I can see some uses for it in a classroom environment, including the way we used it in the assignment (i.e. something nice to show parents about their children's learning activities). However, I cannot see its use being anything more than a peripheral tool for an English classroom, as it could never replace lecture, reading, and discussion for learning how to read, analyze, and think about literary texts. Likewise, it is unsuitable for truly teaching an understanding of the construction of a literary essay.

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses

My personal strengths and weaknesses insofar as technology is concerned stem from my current level of knowledge concerning computers and my apathetic approach to learning new technologies. I have a fairly decent understanding of computer technology and the internet. I can do many things and accomplish many tasks with this understanding; however, I am generally somewhat slow to familiarize myself with new technology unless there is a pressing need to learn it.

Personal Future Learning Goals

My future learning goals consist mainly of learning to manage a classroom and properly manage the instruction time that I have with my students. An instructor should never waste his own time nor the time of his students. I feel that learning to efficiently manage classroom time will push my students to become as strong as possible in my area of content and also it will help me become a better instructor for future classes.