Throughout this course, it's been important to me to do what I could to apply tools, concepts, and knowledge to my job as a preschool teacher and special education teacher. I had actually seen several of the tools we studied before, applied to older students and more advanced, complex curriculum concepts. What I hadn't done was take the time to really sit down and consider applications for a preschool classroom. My communication with parents is very different than that of most teachers of older children, and I feel like many of the tools were great for this purpose. Others were great for using with the students. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised with this, and if challenged me to do something I hadn't been required to do before, so it pushed me a bit.
Blogging was one of my favorite tools that we used throughout the course. I enjoy blogging personally, and really enjoyed blogging with my students' parents as an audience. It's a great way to keep in touch and show them what we're doing in the classroom. Students blogging is another excellent use of this tool. "Academic blogs bring a reflective or cognitive dimension to personal narratives, and introduce an emotional and social dimension to formal academic work that often accentuates cognitive or intellectual tasks" (Hyung, 2008). Blogging can be fun for kids, a way for them to get feedback from their teachers and peers, and a way for them to connect to their curriculum online.
When planning classroom activities, it is important to keep in mind connections to state standards. My preschool classroom follows a curriculum called Teaching Strategies GOLD, which is one of a few state accepted programs which are accepted for use in classrooms which provide special education services to preschool-aged children who have IEPs. This curriculum is aligned to the Common Core standards, and extends from infant/toddler to Kindergarten level skills. It's important to consider the technology standards, and how we can effectively include technology into the classroom to meet these. I think one of the best parts about technology integration is the flexibility, and the ability to incorporate standards from other content areas. In creating my WebQuest, it was easy to include writing skills, fine motor skills, listening and speaking skills, and more. During the Module 4 Discussion, it was so interesting to hear all about how my classmates are applying the technologies we've studied to the lessons they teach. Some are elementary and intermediate teachers, some content-specific secondary teachers, some are primary teachers similar to myself. It was really amazing to hear about how different people view the same tool.
When reflecting on this course, my thinking has changed in ways I hadn't expected. I use technology in my classroom very regularly, with all children using the interactive whiteboard daily, and also with and iPad and desktop computers. I do feel that sometimes I'm in a bit of a rut and don't always take risks with new technology tools. This experience has inspired me to try these new tools with me students, or to communicate with parents. I'm excited to begin applying these things, trying them with my students, and sharing with my colleagues!
References:
Hyung Nam Kim, The phenomenon of blogs and theoretical model of blog use in
educational contexts, Computers & Education, Volume 51, Issue 3, November
2008, Pages 1342-1352, ISSN 0360-1315, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.compedu.2007.12.005. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131508000158)
Module 4 Discussion Board
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon; MCB university press, 9(5), Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
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