The last seven weeks have gone by so quickly! I can’t believe it is time to sit down and reflect on what I have learned.
One of the biggest take aways I have from this class is the newfound understanding I have gained of the TPACK framework. I have learned how critical it is to think about the TPACK framework when designing instruction for my students. I will continue to explore options with the TPACK framework in mind that are appropriate for my young learners and that spark their creativity and interests. Dr. Mishra’s lecture was definitely one of my favorite parts of this course because he helped me understand that there really is no such thing as “Educational Technology”, but instead it is technology in the hands of innovating educators. I found that idea to be freeing and inspirational. I am now more excited about looking at various technologies in a different way and working to repurpose them for use in my classroom.
As I take this new learning with me to my classroom, I still wonder how to communicate this learning to other educators who may be resistant to the new changes that education is and will continue to experience. I also think about the amount of time it takes to not only redesign units and lessons, but then to teach the technology to my young ones and also ensure that they walk away having learned the main lesson objectives. I think what has helped me wrap my head around all of this is that I don’t have to redesign lessons all at once. I can instead take smaller steps to innovate with technology when it fits in with my students’ needs and interests. I also have enjoyed building and reflecting on my Professional Learning Network. I am also still trying to wrap my head around RSS feeds and I am interested in exploring it further to see if it is something that will help me to organize the information I am interested in from other websites. By continuing to build a strong online network, I can take advantage of the ideas of other educators and tweak them to fit my needs. I am also more aware of the need for me to give back to my network and share the ideas I am coming up with in my classroom!
Tech In Lower El 