Final Reflection for CEP 811

“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti

It is such an exciting thought for me to know that learning will never end. Education is not confined to a book or a class, but extends to all experience. Learning is my fuel and it brings satisfaction, curiosity, and wonder to my life. Where will the journey of learning take me? What new and interesting ideas will I discover next? What kind of new technologies will help to expand my learning and the learning of my students? I do not know the answers to all of these questions, but I do know that the journey so far has been a fulfilling one. I know that the future quest for knowledge will be just as rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing my first two online courses this semester with CEP 810 and CEP 811. These courses have given me many things including new friends, new tools, and new ideas. More than anything, my online learning through MSU has renewed my deep love of personal learning. The new knowledge I have gained will not just stay personal, but has given me a reason to share what I have learned with my students and colleagues. What are some of the things I have learned during this course and what contributed to that learning?

One of the most important things I learned this semester is the incredible potential that the Internet affords for collaboration. With all the social media outlets available, connecting with others near and far has never been easier. Throughout this semester I participated in different kinds of social media, including email, discussion forums, blog posting and commenting, and Google Hangouts. In truth, I probably would not willingly choose to be a part of most online social networks. I tend to be a pretty private person and often try to avoid large social gatherings. This course has helped me to reach out to others for support and required that I rely on people outside of my normal circle of acquaintances. This has helped me to see first-hand the wealth of personal and professional contacts that can contribute to my own learning, not to mention the vastness of ideas and resources that I use on a daily basis in my own classroom and at home.

A major component of my classroom is using brain-based ideas and research to plan my lessons. The majority of resources used for these activities are found online. In addition, this course has deepened my understanding of the connections between the brain, learning, and technology through TPACK. I was briefly introduced to TPACK during an undergraduate technology course. Through the readings and videos this semester, as well as collaboration with peers for our group assignments, I now understand that to be the most effective teacher I need to address technology, pedagogy, and content in my classroom. I want to be the best I can be and TPACK, along with the NETS, CCSS, and other research-based resources, offers a workable framework to help guide and plan my lessons. I appreciate the structure that these resources provide while allowing me to teach these standards in a way that best meets the needs of my students.

Throughout the course, I have had the opportunity to create several meaningful instructional technology-based resources for my students. Over the past few weeks, I have implemented my "Can you hear it?" StAIR, "We know how to..." WebQuest, and my UDL enhanced lesson plan into my own classroom. These are useful tools that I created specifically for my students. I feel such a sense of pride when I see what I have created! It is even more rewarding when I see students engaged in learning with the resources I created! I know that in-depth tech-based projects will help my students practice and apply real world communication skills. My WebQuest and UDL lesson plan focus on students creating a how-to video. Each week since Spring Break we have focused on a specific aspect of our how-to writing project including brainstorming, planning, sequencing, writing, revising, editing, adding pictures and adding audio. Every week students are utilizing technology tools to enhance learning, while creating a meaningful product that demonstrates their knowledge. A few of my groups have already completed their projects! I am so pleased with their work! I will be sharing some of the finished videos with my principal and school board this week!
Here are the links to a few:

1st grade - I know how to tie my shoes.
2nd grade - I know how to make a book.

As I look to the future, I still have so much I want to learn about technology! This summer, I am looking forward to attending eQuip 2013. I went last year and it was a blast. I will also be attending a few Project Based Learning workshops, as I believe technology and PBL go hand in hand. I also have a personal goal of compiling a list of Google Play apps for my colleagues based on grade level and subject. We were issued Kunos in December, but unfortunately have not received any training. To help compensate, my second Tech Tuesday will be on May 21st and we will focus on how to use our Kunos for teaching and learning. I also plan to continue to update my Tech4Parkside website with more links and information for my colleagues. In addition, I would like to categorize my list of apps to match the four main areas of language acquisition and the specific skills tested on the LAS Links assessment. I am excited to put this list together because I know these resources will help my students increase their English proficiency. I want to offer my students a variety of opportunities to practice the communication skills they need to be successful. I am also excited about tinkering with MIT’s App Inventor this summer. I have always wanted to make my own apps and hopefully this summer I will!

I know that my learning does not end with CEP 811 this week. It will continue with CEP 812 next week, then CEP 822 later in the summer. I have been accepted into the MAET program and then eventually plan to pursue my Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at MSU. My learning is not isolated to formal schooling as I know the best way to learn is to experience. My goal is to continue to seek out new opportunities to grow as a person and as an educator.