Looking Back and Moving Forward

As I reflect on the past 8 weeks and the learning theories studied in the course, I feel that as educators in creating a differentiated classroom we should be careful to include activities that meet a range of theories. As I began the course, I had strong leanings towards the constructionist viewpoints and I held strong desires to have my students make connections to what they are learning. I still feel that is an important aspect of my curriculum and that is an important part of my instruction in my Social Studies classroom. Yet, I feel that I am leaning more towards the social constructionist theories when I integrate the technology in the classroom. So many of the technology tools that we have studied lend themselves to collaboration and students working together, that I am excited to see new ways of teaching the content in my classroom. Perhaps, the best classroom environment is a mixture of the theories so that the best aspects of each theory can help students learn to their maximum potential.

I think the most immediate shift that I plan to incorporate in my classroom is to turn my technology focus from using technology as an instructional tool and to begin using it as a learning tool. I have used a lot of PowerPoint presentations in my classroom and I realize now that the notes delivered by PowerPoint are not any more interactive than the old transparency on the overhead. I do already incorporate video clips and images but I plan to revise my presentations to be more interactive and less scripted so students are more focused on the information than on copying down what is on the slide. Also, I am looking to incorporate more web quests, where students are doing more web based inquiry activities collaboratively in order to acquire the information. The other means of technology that I think will most benefit my students is the use of the Voice Thread technology. I used it in my lesson plan and I am looking forward to how I can use it most effectively in my next unit of study. We are planning to start a class blog (I was waiting on permission) and I think the Voice Thread technology will be an excellent addition to the process. This will truly allow students to work together and collaborate. Additionally, the multiple options for the technology will allow students to record, type or even draw on the image to aid in understanding.

I would like to make a few changes to my instructional strategy and I know that change will not always be easy but is very necessary in order to prepare my students for their future lives. First, I would like to change to have my students be more independent learners, that they are able to problem solve, find the answers (even if they are not right before them in the book), and to come up with new solutions to issues that we discuss. I would like for students to be able to integrate and know what technology tool will help them find the information that they need most effectively and how to evaluate the quality of the information that they have located. In order to accomplish this goal, I will actually have to give up some control in my classroom. I have always been so concerned about the quality of information, that I am never comfortable with students doing inquiry (because I worry about if they find the wrong answer or incorrect information) and I am always pushed by our instructional calendar that requires us to reach certain topics by certain dates. I cannot control the calendar but I am going to modify how the students are responsible for information. This may not happen overnight but I plan to work consistently and pervasively at this so that my students become more self sufficient.

My second long term goal would be to create a 21st century learning environment, I do not have access to a smart board or Mimeo board in my classroom. I can access laptops/computer labs sometimes when needed but they are a shared resource. I would like to acquire a Mimeo board and/or an Interwrite tablet for my classroom. I would also like to be able to access a set of classroom response clickers (like those from Einstruction) that would allow me to do more assessments of student knowledge during class time. I think that students would be more engaged with these forms of technology and would be more involved in the learning process. I think that these interactive technology tools would help my students become the more independent learners that I desire to develop. I plan to try and see what funding sources I might be able to gain access to, in order to fund these purchases, such as grants from various organizations, PTA, or school funds. My hope would be to have increased the level of technology tools in my classroom by the beginning of the next school year.