EDUC 6710 Reflection

This course has taught me a lot about new technologies to use in the classroom. Before this class, I thought the only reasons for students to use computers were to use the internet, power point, word, or excel. I never thought of using a blog, pod cast, or Wiki as a classroom tool. Now that I know how to use all of these things I will start to incorporate these Web 2.0 skills into my social studies classes.
With my ability to create lessons using Web 2.0 technologies, I will be able to let the students learn on their own and use me as a helper. I will no longer tell them what they need to know, but instead will give them the opportunity to figure out what they need to know. I have always grown up in teacher-centered classrooms and have known little about learner-centered classrooms, but this class has taught me the difference. It is my goal from this point forward to incorporate more learner-centered activities in the classroom. I want to change the process of my class from being a teacher-centered class to a learner-centered class. This will take me a couple years to completely change my lessons and activities, but I am willing to do that to ensure that my students learn and are engaged in my class.
I am definitely committed to expanding my knowledge of technology use in the classroom because I chose Integrating Technology into the Classroom as my Master’s degree. One reason it has taken me 4 years to start my Master’s degree is I could not find a degree that I was interested in. This was the only degree that interested me and I looked at many different degrees. With every new technology available, I wanted not only to be able to use them efficiently, but I also want to be able to use them in the classroom. A few of my goals dealing with technology over the next couple years are to help my fellow social studies teachers incorporate Web 2.0 into the classroom and to totally change my lesson plans from teacher-centered activities to learner-centered activities. With my continued education and hard work, I believe I can achieve these goals.

Podcast about Technology In My Students Life

http://www.gcast.com/user/TonyCafarella/podcast/main?pe1UdnYOULdsaSnaFG-Ym1lEMxgak3bccN-VJM

My Reaction to www.21stcenturyskills.org/

When I first started to browse the website, I felt a little overwhelmed. The more I browsed, the more I felt like I was looking at a web page that was created by a government or corporation that talks a lot, but does little. The main thing that I was surprised by was there are only a few lessons for teachers to help them teach 21st century skills. A majority of what is on the site is talking about how states and teachers need to incorporate these skills into the classroom, but it was very hard to find ways to do this. Overall, I would say the site is very informational, but a little confusing because of the massive amount of literature about how everyone needs to teach 21st century skills. I think this website is helping to start the movement of teaching 21st century skills, but I think it should take a greater part in providing lessons for each type of "core subject" that the site lists.

Blogging in the Classroom

I teach at a Title 1 school in a school in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Many of my students don't have the Internet. This makes it very hard to include a blog in my classroom. Taking into account my circumstances I have thought of some different ways to use a blog in my 7th grade social studies classroom. I think I can use a blog to talk about current events with my students. I can post an article about a topic we are covering in class along with my thoughts about the situation. I then could take my students to the computer lab or give my students assigned time on the classroom computer to respond to the topic. For instance, I give my students a current event every week to read at home. This week is about the situation in Darfur. Specifically about asking the President of Sudan to surrender to the International Criminal Court. After they read the article I can have each student respond to specific questions I have on the blog and give them time to respond. I can check in everyday and grade the responses. I think this will give the students freedom to work on their own, while learning about state standards, and being able to talk to the class without being on the spot in front of 28 other people.

TWIC (This Week In Class)

This week in class I am taking my classes to the computer lab to complete a web quest about African Cultures. During this web quest the students will get information about different cultures across Africa. After they do their web quest they will research African Tribal masks and then create their own Tribal mask. I used this assignment last year and my students enjoyed it very much. I hope that my students this year will enjoy it even more.

Tony's Blog