As am I thinking about all of the “things” that I learned in this class, I am also thinking, “Wow. I really thought I knew a lot before this class.” And now I realize how much I have learned. Period. My “old tech-savvy self” thought I knew pretty much everything related to technology in educated - I mean, how much is there to know? HA!
Reflecting back, I begin with Twitter and how for some reason, I only thought of it as a social-media tool that was more appropriate for my students and people who were not teachers. Boy, was I wrong! Twitter is a wonderful tool that keeps me connected to my colleagues. It keeps me in the “know” of everything education and every technology! I love having experts at my finer tips to help me with any topic or provide messages/comments in 168 characters or less!
I loved discovering screencasts – Jing is perhaps one of my most favorite tools of the moment. My students think it is amazing! Combine apps like Jing with ToonDoo, Storyjumper, Blabberize, etc. and it immediately gets my students attention. They love these tools as much as I do! Now, when I incorporate the use of the tools into an assignment, they look at me like I’m awesome and I have made their life easier (as opposed to “drawing things out” like in the old days). It is like they are saying in their minds, “She gets us. She really gets us.”
Through the use and application of all of these new tools I have learned about and implemented in my own classes, I have realized that technology is much more than just something we need to include to “incorporate technology into our lessons.” It is truly a way of life for our students and the more we can seamlessly integrate it into what we are teaching and how we are teaching “it”, the more meaningful “it” will be to our students. Today’s students want relevance and meaning in what they are learning. They have been taught to ask “why?” and we should deliver it to them. Technology is not going anywhere; the more prepared we are to use it and integrate it in what we do on a daily basis, the more we relate to our students and help them prepare for their futures in the work world.
I have truly learned an invaluable number of Web 2.0 Tools in this class. More importantly, I have also learned how to integrate them in an affective and meaningful way for my students to succeed and have meaningful learning experiences. Going forward, I plan to re-evaluate the way I teach and hopefully become more of a facilitator of knowledge through technology than I am now. I am so excited to implement these new tools!
Reflecting back, I begin with Twitter and how for some reason, I only thought of it as a social-media tool that was more appropriate for my students and people who were not teachers. Boy, was I wrong! Twitter is a wonderful tool that keeps me connected to my colleagues. It keeps me in the “know” of everything education and every technology! I love having experts at my finer tips to help me with any topic or provide messages/comments in 168 characters or less!
I loved discovering screencasts – Jing is perhaps one of my most favorite tools of the moment. My students think it is amazing! Combine apps like Jing with ToonDoo, Storyjumper, Blabberize, etc. and it immediately gets my students attention. They love these tools as much as I do! Now, when I incorporate the use of the tools into an assignment, they look at me like I’m awesome and I have made their life easier (as opposed to “drawing things out” like in the old days). It is like they are saying in their minds, “She gets us. She really gets us.”
Through the use and application of all of these new tools I have learned about and implemented in my own classes, I have realized that technology is much more than just something we need to include to “incorporate technology into our lessons.” It is truly a way of life for our students and the more we can seamlessly integrate it into what we are teaching and how we are teaching “it”, the more meaningful “it” will be to our students. Today’s students want relevance and meaning in what they are learning. They have been taught to ask “why?” and we should deliver it to them. Technology is not going anywhere; the more prepared we are to use it and integrate it in what we do on a daily basis, the more we relate to our students and help them prepare for their futures in the work world.
I have truly learned an invaluable number of Web 2.0 Tools in this class. More importantly, I have also learned how to integrate them in an affective and meaningful way for my students to succeed and have meaningful learning experiences. Going forward, I plan to re-evaluate the way I teach and hopefully become more of a facilitator of knowledge through technology than I am now. I am so excited to implement these new tools!