Final Reflection - Leadership

The course, "New and Emerging Technologies", has taught me a lot about leadership and technology. I walk away with three quotes that have stuck with me since the first week:

• Leadership is "making happen what you believe in"
• "All teachers have the capacity and responsibility to be leaders"
• "Leadership is a set of functions rather than a role"

When I look at these quotes, I realize that I have some work to do in my school as far as technology goes. I believe in integrating technology more than ever now that my master's program is done. I can see the benefits for the students as far as learning and expressing that learning, and the benefits for the teachers in the way that they can present information to the students. Technology can help with differentiation of content and process and can help teachers to assess learning in creative and meaningful ways.

Technology also allows learning to occur outside of the classroom. On-line learning modules can allow students to collaborate with their peers or with their teachers from the comfort of their home. Technology expands the walls of the classroom and allows students to visit places that they may not be able to do otherwise, speak to people that they may never meet in person, and create artifacts that will tap into their own strengths.

My goal to increase the use of technology into my classroom will take time and money. I will work closely with my administration to see if I can apply for grants or if there are other ways to gain new computers for my classroom. In the meantime, I will work with the four old computers that were given to me to start my "mini lab" and create stations in the room for students to learn how to use these digital tools to develop new and exciting artifacts to demonstrate the learning that is occurring in the classroom.

Reference: Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Introduction to Teacher Leadership. Baltimore: Author.

Final Reflection

The course, "Reaching and Engaging All Learners Through Technology," has taught me so much about the endless possibilities that I have inside of my classroom with the help of technology. More than that, however, it changed the way that I think about differentiated instruction. I always knew that we needed to stop "focusing on changing the child or fixing the child to changing or fixing the broader educational environment to help all children maximize their access and opportunities to learn" (Educational Laureate, 2009), but I was not sure how to do it, and was overwhelmed by the sheer thought of it. By learning about Universal Design for Learning and how technology can help teachers enhance their classrooms for all learners, the idea of differentiating in the classroom seems less daunting.


Now that I better understand how the three brain networks and movement of information work together, it makes sense that no two students are alike. In order to reach each student's recognition, strategic and affective network, teachers will need to think about how they present information, give students multiple ways to express themselves and allow students to engage in their work in a way that is most productive. I look forward to building my classroom this year to be more differentiated for my students. Although I have always done a good job of presenting information in a varied way, according to the survey that was done, I need to do a better job with assessment and varied student expression of work.

One adjustment that has already been made, is that I now have four additional computers in my classroom for student use. Although they are old, they will be able to connect to the internet, and be able to be used for programs such as Jing, Inspiration, Audacity, and PowerPoint. I hope to have student stations where they can choose how they express what they know, or can work in small groups to learn together. I know that this is a work in progress, but we have been told that "many teachers successfully start differentiating instruction with small, well-organized changes” (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 96).

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Reaching and engaging all learners through technology. Baltimore: Author.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). Differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Great Sites for Differentiation.

As I was doing some perusing of the internet, I came across some more sites that would benefit teachers with the implementation of differentiation of instruction:

http://mindmeister.com/ - this was an interactive mind mapping site.  One map could be made and many students could comment on the map.  I thought that it would be a great way to continue the "discussion" or the "reflection" that was started in class, while they were at home.  It is free and seems to be user friendly.  I think that it could be used for all grades, since the map would depend on what grade level built it.

http://www.zoeysroom.com/ - this was a site especially for middle school girls.  They could interact with female "scientists" and "mathematicians" to see what it was like.  So many young girls get turned off on math and science at that age and it seems that this might be a great way to encourage them.

On a side note, have either of you tried to download moodle?  I am having trouble.  I really want to learn more about it and use it next year in my classroom, but I need to get it on my computer first.  Any imput would be great.  Thanks and good luck with your last two weeks of class.
Kim

Moodle is the Way to Go!

http://www.screencast.com/users/kimberley.myers/folders/Jing/media/1ea9d0db-8f54-4a1c-8f54-06c98b9b3cdc


Enjoy my screencast about Moodle.  I think that Moodle would be a wonderful tool for me in my classroom.