While taking 21st century teaching and learning I learned a lot of valuable strategies to implement technology into my everyday lessons such as blogs, collaborative websites, how to make my lessons more authentic and meaningful. It was really refreshing to see how teachers can use a simple Engaged Learning Rubric to create their lessons, and in using this template can create great lessons that students will appreciate. I also found useful the LOTI sniff test, in which teachers can evaluate how technological their lesson really are. At first I was really overwhelmed with the amount of strategies available and at the mere fact of actually planning these lessons with the strategies. But now that I have finished the course and completed my engaged learning project I feel a bit more comfortable with the planning. I actually use some of the strategies that we talked and read about, but never in a meaningful way. Now that I know how how to use them correctly I am confident that my classes will be more successful and engaging for my students.
Most teachers want to add technology in to the classroom but has trouble actually seeing the value that it adds to the instruction. Most teachers would also say that the time spend on implementing it is to much, but if it is done properly it will not take much time at all. Really all these teachers are missing is a school district that provides the proper training and tools to implement said technology. In the end, it comes down to the teachers desire to implement it and follow through with it. Once teachers realize how easy it makes their jobs and how much fun the students have with technology, its a no brainer. At the end of this course I feel that I have become a better and more effective technology coach.
Most teachers want to add technology in to the classroom but has trouble actually seeing the value that it adds to the instruction. Most teachers would also say that the time spend on implementing it is to much, but if it is done properly it will not take much time at all. Really all these teachers are missing is a school district that provides the proper training and tools to implement said technology. In the end, it comes down to the teachers desire to implement it and follow through with it. Once teachers realize how easy it makes their jobs and how much fun the students have with technology, its a no brainer. At the end of this course I feel that I have become a better and more effective technology coach.