Final Blog Reflection

Now that this semester is coming to a close it is appropriate to reflect back on some of the valuable lessons that I have learned from this course. In my opinion I feel that the most useful technology that I learned is how to set up a website. I think that this can be a very useful tool in teaching. From the website I can set up online quizzes, take a poll about lessons, attach a syllabus or other assignments, and keep parents informed about what we are learning in class. For me, it is hard to remember everything that I am supposed to do once I get outside of class. It is helpful for a teacher to put the daily assignments online where I can look them up in case I forget. Also I love the option of taking a class poll of lessons. I think that it is important to get this kind of feedback from students. It will help me choose better activities and will demonstrate to the students that I am genuinely interested in what they want to learn about. This helps build a stronger relationship with the students which can limit disruptions in the classroom.

I plan on creating my own class website once I have my own class. Even in student teaching next semester I can work with the teacher to add to his website if he has one or create my own so that I can implement these tools in my own class. A blog such as this one can also be used since it is simple and easy to follow. I also love the idea of making video presentations in class. This may be a little more difficult for a student to construct but are great tools for presentations. I think that in the future I will plan on trying to come up with at least one video presentation that I can make and tailor to my class each unit. This way I can start making a few a year that I can save from year to year. I also really enjoyed my Google Earth lesson and think that activities like this will help allow students to be more active learners.

Technology is a great way to incorporate active learning into my lessons. Using the internet in a history class can be a great way to spark inquiry based lessons where students search out their own projects. Also if you teach students to create a video presentation it helps them really internalize the information they are working on. Even simple powerpoint presentations add a visual aspect to an otherwise dull lecture which help students engage in the material.