When I first started this class I was a little overwhelmed with the variety of technology projects that I would be completing in just eight weeks. Before this course, I never created a blog or read many blogs for that matter. I wasn’t really sure what a wiki or the purpose it served, especially in the classroom, but used Wikipedia often to research information. Also, podcasts were only something I viewed and never thought of creating. This gradate course has opened my eyes to the world of technology and all that it has to offer for my students and myself.
I have realized how fun, easy, and thought provoking using technology can be. I liked how I was able to explore and create various web 2.0 tools. By actually creating and collaborating with classmates I was able to see how useful these tools will be in my classroom.
This course has set a solid foundation that I plan to keep building upon. I have recently set up a classroom blog that my students will begin to blog on regularly. I have also created lesson plans that allow students to research information and will introduce wiki sites that will aid in their research.
I plan on continuing to expand my knowledge on web 2.0 tools by regularly reading blogs that discuss different ways technology can be integrated in the classroom. I have also signed up for a workshop that my school district is providing titled, “Integrating Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom.” I feel that I have finally embraced the world of technology and by keeping up with technology I can continue to integrate it in my classroom.
One long-term goal I would like to set for myself is applying for a grant next year for ipod Nano’s that have a video recorder. With the new video feature, students will be able to record themselves in the classroom and then upload there video on the computer. Once there video is on the computer they can create a variety of multi-media projects, upload it to a blog, or create a podcast. In my fifth grade science class students are currently making a dollhouse with working circuits. With the Nano, students can video tape each step of the process of creating a dollhouse, then create a presentation on the computer using any web 2.0 tool.
Another long-term goal is to incorporate blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other web 2.0 tools across the curriculum in my classroom. I like that students are able to take ownership in technology assignments and add their own interests into an assignment. I teach in both a third and fifth grade classroom and feel that I have explored these technologies more with my fifth grade classroom. My goal is to explore these technologies with my third grade classroom so that by they time they get to fifth grade they already have a foundation set for them.
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