Lessons+Learned

 Lessons Learned

When I signed up for this class I was so excited because I thought I knew a lot about computers and how they worked. I was able to use word, send and receive emails, download different tools, and use programs where you design templates or slide shows for your pictures. In my undergrad word at Washington State University, I took a technology class where we had to develop our own teacher webpage using a tool called, TeacherWeb. This was an amazing experience, but I knew I still had a lot to learn about technology. I was so excited to take this class because it was something different that the literacy classes I have been taking. Since children are becoming so technologically advanced I thought it would be a wonderful way to explore what the internet/Web 2.0 tools has to offer.

Media Literacy for Teachers opened the door to many possibilities and showed me what wonderful tools there were that I would integrate into my classroom teaching. A majority of the Web 2.0 tools were new to me and it was exciting to see what possibilities they would bring into the classroom. Some tools I loved and some I could do without. As teachers, it is our job to stay on top of the latest and greatest technologies and to support or parents and students by applying Web 2.0 tools into the classroom.

I believe learning should be centered on the students’ inquiry and their learning process. The Authoring Cycle gives children an opportunity to make observations and develop their own questions and thoughts that drive our teaching. As teachers, we want our students to have the opportunity to explore, navigate, and problem solve on their own. Through these explorations students can make discoveries of their own learning and make new learning from their past experiences. The Web 2.0 tools provide teachers with many different tools to aid their students learning. Tools such as Survey Monkey, itunes, MS Photstory, Zoho writer, Wikispaces, blogs, and Youtube give teachers the tools they need to support their student’s inquiry. These tools provide as a foundation for building students knowledge in technology and support their learning though presenting the curriculum in an engaging approach.

One of the most important things I have learning in this class besides the vast tools there are to support out students learning is the opportunities these tools can offer students in and out of the classroom. Students are growing up to be more technologically advanced and know a lot about technology very early in life. It is my goal as an educator to keep up with the new technology and support my students through exploring what the Web 2.0 tools and the internet has to offer. This week has been eye opening for me as a teacher because I feel so many teachers are forgetting to integrate technology into the classroom. My goal for the next month is to create a wikispace for my first grade classroom. I have learned so much through my own inquiries and explorations and I am so excited to share what I have learned with others in my profession.