Reflections

            The recent course that I have been privileged to take part in has helped me develop my technology skills in so many ways. For instance, I had never really considered creating and using a blog in my classroom but was afforded the opportunity to begin this thanks to this current course. I also was unfamiliar with what a wiki is and what they are used for. Thankfully, being required to begin one with my colleagues helped me dive in and begin to understand how I could incorporate this type of resource in my classroom with my students.

            Through time spent exploring course readings and recordings, I have learned a great deal about the teaching and learning process. One example I can give is the information I was afforded on 21^st Century skills. It makes sense that these skills were developed to produce students who are ready for the world they will enter as soon as they graduate from high school. Ultimately, isn’t that our goal? Not only do students need to have the knowledge of math skills and their country’s history, they also need to be able to problem solve as well as collaborate and communicate with their peers. Keeping this in mind, I feel that this is one example of how my perspective has changed from teacher-centered to learner-centered. While I still make it my goal to work smarter, not harder so that I can accomplish much in the sometimes overwhelming world of teaching, it was beneficial for me to have a reminder of things to keep in mind so that I can help develop citizens who are as prepared as possible for what lies ahead of them.

            With all of the resources that this course has afforded me, I believe that I have just scratched the surface of using new technologies to help enhance the learning experiences of my students. I plan to continue to explore this further not only through continuing graduate studies but also by collaborating with my peers who can share their knowledge and experience in this area. In the future, next school year, I would like to incorporate my blog in my classroom to use to display student work and facilitate discussions. I would also like to develop a wiki, initially to share with my fourth grade teaching colleagues and then branch out to other fourth grade teachers in my district as a way to share resources and ideas. All in all, I feel that this course was very valuable for me in my endeavors as a teacher who hopes to incorporate technology in the classroom.             

Podcast

Here is my most recent attempt to incorporate technology into my classroom. Check out the following link and beneath the post entitled "Students and Technology" you will be able to download my podcast on the topic of analysis of student technology use. Enjoy!

http://heidiestep.podbean.com/

21st Century Skills

I recently spent some time perusing a website that focuses on 21^st Century Skill readiness for students. (The Partnership for 21st Century Skills.) This site aims to help the U.S. education system produce students who are ready for the world they will enter once there are finished with school. Some of its main focal points are thinking critically, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation.

One of the first things that I came across while looking over this website was a tab devoted to providing tools and resources for educators and districts. While exploring this tab, I came across a MILE Guide (Milestones for Innovative Learning and Education), which will look at a school district and tell them basically how they are doing with regard to teach their students the necessary 21^st Century Skills. I also was surprised to see which organizations participate in this cause, among them, Apple Computer, Inc., Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Education.

Upon reviewing the information provided on this website, including their mission statement and goals, it is evident that their ultimate goal is to encourage the education system to produce valuable citizens who will ultimately become our workers and leaders of tomorrow. I did notice that my state, Pennsylvania, is not included among the list of state initiatives and I plan to look into the reasoning behind this.

I believe that this resource is worth further exploration. As a teacher who aims to ultimately promote students who will become effective citizens, I think that the goals of this particular organization reflect many of my own goals. Take some time to check out this website when you can!

Oh so many possibilities...

As a 4th grade teacher in a regular education classroom, I am always looking for ways to make my lessons more exciting and engaging for my students. The real question is, how can I begin to use a blog in my classroom? Initially, to help students develop a sense of pride and ownership of this new aspect of their classroom, I think that using it as a place to publish their work would be an excellent starting point. I believe that the students would feel a sense pride knowing that their work was being shared with peers in their school, their parents, and possibly students from other schools. What a unique alternative to solely posting work in classrooms and hallways!
Another option that I would like to try in my classroom is using our blog as a place for class discussions. After posting a question that relates to our current studies in math, language arts, or other content subjects, students would be asked to post feedback answering the discussion question and then would also have the opportunity to comment on each other's feedback. This would be an excellent tool that could be used to assess student learning in particular content areas as well as to encourage their writing skills. 
These are just a few ideas of ways that I would like to initially begin to implement my blog into my classroom. What about you? I'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions for things that have worked for you!