Final Reflection

It's truly hard to believe that 20 months of hard work are really over. While the program itself is over, the continuation of my education in technology needs to never stop. Technology is changing, and change, as we all know very well, is the only thing that ever stays constant. So, while I will no longer be logging into MyWalden anymore, I will be logging into my computer and the Internet regularly to see all the new things the world of technology has to offer.

The last assignment we had to create was a doozie for me. I knew what I wanted to do, knew how I wanted to get it done, but just had a little trouble communicating it. Once it was finished, I read it and discovered a beautiful lesson that really reaches all spectrum's of the curriculum. This assignment shows how easy it is to truly integrate technology into every aspect of a school day. Through one program, I was able to teach lessons about Social Studies, Science, Math and even Health. This one program took little prep from the teacher and if the students are taught the correct way to use the Internet from the first day of school, almost no prep is needed at all. This lesson is self guided, leaving the teacher to walk around the classroom and help where needed. Deeper discussions can be held due to the amount of information given in this lesson. Students are more attracted to this lesson then say, a paper and pencil lesson, because it allows the to use their gaming and socializing skills they love so much. This program, and class, have taught me that we really need to teach to our students and not at them. Teaching to them means we strive to engage and find their interests and whenever possible, pull those interests into our lessons. No one says a good lesson has to be boring...in fact the opposite is true.
Next year, I will possibly be transferring to another school. I would like to start that school year off with showing others all I have learned. As a team we can create lessons that are technology heavy and then have them for years to come. I will share the engaging lessons, programs and technological advances that without this class I would never have learned about.
So much can be learned through technology. So much can be taught through technology. I hope to open the eyes of my peers and show them that this is really true. No longer are worksheets and overheads going to cut it. We really need to engage and in doing this we will create learners that work hard and are prepared for the unknown future.