![]() Course Reflection: This has been my third ITD course to take. I’ve enjoyed getting to see the similarity of all the courses while integrating new skills as well. This course taught me to dive deep into the understanding of why technology is important to use in a classroom setting. ITD 645 taught me to take into perspective the safety and regulations of technology in a classroom. As a teacher in the twenty first century, technology is a big part of my world. This class has pushed me to continue exploring the different technology tools, while also taking into consideration the safety of my students in the social web. Technology brings a lot of greatness into a classroom, but it must be used carefully. Teachers and instructors could benefit a lot from this class due to the advancements it teaches in the technology tools of today. The main thing I took from this class, is the amount of technology there is for people with different types of disabilities. I was able to learn that there are special keyboards, screens, and even audio tools that help people with vision disabilities to people who may be autistic. Although I have not had any students with major disabilities, it was nice to see that there are tools I can use in my classroom to help make their learning transition in the class smoother. Illustrate your strong and weak points My strong points were in the design process of creating PowerPoints and even the different types of websites for the class. I’ve always enjoyed playing around with the different patterns and tools to create an aesthetically pleasing project. It also helps that I have taken classes through my master’s program and one in Undergrad that trained me in the art of web design. I’m not a master at it by all means, but it is something I have grown comfortable with and enjoy. As to my weak point, I’d have to say that working on papers and communicating my thoughts in writing has been the hardest. Writing has always been difficult as English is my second language, but I do enjoy the challenges. I have been made to practice different types of writing skills which have helped strengthen my abilities. I believe that a without challenges we would never be able to grow and succeed. I like to strive for greatness and pushing myself in uncomfortable projects such as the lesson plan we did is helping me grow into a stronger and better teacher. ISTE Standards Learner - Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning. Project 1 consisted of a website we had to create to keep weekly blogs of all the projects done for the class. That was the first learning curve thrown our way. At first it all seemed simple, but the truth is that I began to run into some problems with the website creation. I researched YouTube videos to find answers but even then, the videos were outdated or did not concentrate on the topic I needed guidance in. This is where my group came into the picture. We began contacting each other with questions starting on week one. Group projects can be overwhelming at times but having a group to grow in our technology journey was a big help when it came to independent work. Another way I was able to improve my learning was by relying on our book and learning from all of the chapters. Each chapter went in depth with what one could do to incorporate technology in a classroom setting. Leader - Educators seek out opportunities for leadership to support student empowerment and success and to improve teaching and learning. Projects 1 and 2 are the projects where my group and I advocated for the importance of technology in a classroom. We created a grant where we explained the needs of each technology tool we needed. It gave us the opportunity to be leaders and support a cause that could benefit many students in the long run. Project two later concentrated in the creation of the lesson plans where William and I worked to incorporate the best practices for students in the class. As leaders we all made sure to provide the best for our students success. Citizen - Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibility to participate in the digital world. The internet is a place where one can find fascinating educational tools but can also bump into negativity of the world. Students today are surrounded by different social media platforms. In one of our book chapters, we learned the importance of internet safety. A way to help ourselves and our students become good samaritans of the internet is by emphasizing internet safety in the classroom. Teachers or instructors should be aware of the types of websites students will be utilizing in the classroom. Teachers should also emphasize the importance of proper collaboration on projects that include sharing documents such as google docs., Slides, forms, and many more. ITD 645 made great points to install positivity of collaboration in our students at a young age rather than waiting until they are older. In our day and time of technology it is more important to begin internet safety policy to hopefully eliminate inappropriate use of technology tools in the future. Collaborator - Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems. I have been very lucky to always end up with wonderful group members that are dedicated to strive for greatness. My group in this class consisted of three wonderful members that came from all different working backgrounds. I believe that it was because of our job backgrounds that we were all able to accomplish so much as a group. We communicated through text and zoom the most. Meanwhile, all of our projects were shared through google docs, slides, forms, and drive for easy access when it came to collaborating in big projects. I have always enjoyed group projects because I am able to take others’ ideas and utilize them in my own classroom. Also, having a set group of people to collaborate with can help with solve problems in projects we may not understand. My overall experience with collaboration in this class was great and I look forward to continue collaborating with my group outside of class when it comes to technology tools we can all benefit from. Designer - Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. Designing lesson plans and projects can be fun but making sure that all are engaging and learner-driven can sometimes be a challenge. When creating an instructional design course or just a plain lesson plan, the instructor or teacher must make sure to follow a process, such as utilizing Bloom’s taxonomy, to create measurable objectives for students to complete at the end of lessons. Teachers or instructors must then utilize those plans to create and accommodate different types of learners to make learning engaging. Tools such as Edpuzzle (project 8) were design to include an in-classroom experience with audio and visuals for students. It was one of my favorite tools to use as an educator that brought in a digital environment that accommodated all types of learners to enjoy and understand. Facilitator - Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students. Project 10 allowed us to become facilitators of learning experiences. The purpose of the project was to create quizzes that would check for understanding at the end of a unit. The technology supported interactive learning which led to success from the student’s engagement. Not only was I able to facilitate interactive quizzes, I facilitated video recordings, Google Slides, and podcast to help students understand the meanings of arrays, rows, columns, and addition equations. Analyst - Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals. This class reminded me of the importance of following an objective. With well establish objectives, one sets themselves for greatness with establishing goals for future lessons. Objects are the key that helps operate the data of student growth. Another way this class helped me understand how to support student growth, was by creating a rubric in one of our projects. The rubric helped as guidelines for students to complete a project with the appropriate learning goals. I personally love a checklist and a rubric is a checklist with more depth that will drive success. How I would use these technologies Coming from an elementary teacher background who just experienced a pandemic, I can say that most of the tools learned in this class have already been use in my classroom. I utilized surveys to collect student data from parents in the beginning of the year. I used recordings to assign homework or center actives that needed to be done at home or during independent work in class. I used Google Slides to create fun interactive lessons that caught my students’ eyes. The one tool I have never used in my classroom has been Edpuzzle. This is a new tool I plan to use as a listening center this coming up school year. I love the way you can connect video recordings of yourself or of others while checking for understanding of a story. Overall, all technology tools are and will find a way in my classroom in the near future.
3 Comments
![]() Chapter 9 Question: 2. There is a fine line between students’ right to express themselves (freedom of speech) and the requirement that educators must protect all students from inappropriate commentary and invasion of privacy. How will you handle balancing your student’s right to express and the requirement that they behave as good digital citizens when using technology in school? Give examples. Freedom of speech is used to express thoughts and opinions. It is one of the biggest rights people in the United States have thanks to our constitution. However, that one constitutional right is one that can quickly turn a page and cause more controversy on the internet. Chapter 9 talks about the importance of having each school monitor internet safety. I believe that it is the schools responsibly to train their educators on the importance of digital safety on the internet. From there, teachers should be able to carry that training and express proper internet etiquette to students. After learning the do’s and don’ts of the internet, teachers must find a happy medium to allow students the ability to utilize their constitutional right of freedom of speech. For example, in my classroom my students use a digital tool called Flipgrid. This tool is kid friendly and allows a teacher to view videos first before posting them for the whole class to see. That is a way to allow freedom of speech in certain topics while also monitoring proper student behavior. A teacher can also allow for the students to comment on other student videos or utilize a like button to encourage classmates. This is a way to make students feel like they are a part of a big social media platform like Instagram or Facebook. I believe that if we teach proper usage of freedom of speech at a young age, it can help control inappropriate commentary outside of school and especially when collaborating on digital projects with other classmates. Chapter 10 Question: 1.Project ten years into the future. You have now been a classroom teacher for the past 7-8 years. Technology has probably changed significantly between the time you completed your student teaching and now. What options have you considered – and perhaps taken – to stay current in technology? I remember telling my instructional technology professor in undergrad that I wanted to get a master’s in technology. Her first response was “I wouldn’t if I were you. Things are always changing, and it can be hard to keep up with.” Her response made me smile and I assured her that I enjoy a challenge. Four years later and here I am sticking with my words of getting a master’s in technology. I will say that she was right. It has been four years since my student teaching years and a lot has changed. Smartboards in the classroom have gone from chunky looking boards to giant flat looking iPads. Tools such as Flipgrid and Nearpod have been created to incorporate engaging learning. As the years go by, more free apps are created to engage education in a classroom. I believe that when I am 7 to 8 years into my educational career, I will continue to go to professional developments to keep up with the latest tools. My current school district does a great job to incorporate technology trainings every year. Another option I have is to join teacher groups on Facebook where teachers around Mississippi and the nation help one another stay connected with the latest gadgets for the classroom. For example, during the pandemic I learned how to create Bitmoji images that moved while also creating a fun interactive classroom on Google Slides. All of my training came from reading teacher comments on Facebook, reading teacher blogs people posted, and even watching YouTube videos. I have grown up in a generation where change is inevitable. To keep up with those changes, one must first be quick to adapt and two they must find ways to enrich their knowledge through professional developments provided by their school or seek media outlets where people in the community will help. ![]() This week we had a group project where we had to create a website for the unit we have created. My group met a total of two times through Zoom and kept constant contact through text messages. We agreed that Steven would take the Home page and Comments & Questions, I would take the Course Material, Teresa had Assignments, and William had Resources. I will have to admit that in the beginning of the project it all seemed easy to comply with. Unfortunately, the more we got to work on it, the more complicated things got for us. Setting up the Weebly page was the easy part for me. The moment I invited the rest of my group member to edit the page is where things began to get tricky. It took us two days to have everyone be a part of the editor group for our website. It was in that moment that I decided Weebly is not user friendly when working as a group. When we were editing, the website would not allow more than one person on the same tab. Personally, I believe edits are easier as a group when we can all see the same screen. Therefore, Weebly was not my favorite tool to use for this group project, but I do enjoy it when working on a website independently. On a plus side, working on the Course Materials page was a bit more stress free. I will admit that sometimes things would not properly link or change a certain color, which I then had to get someone from my group to assist with that. Other than that, I decided to set up the page based on the days the lessons would be taught. I then inserted all of the material that would be used in the order the teacher would use it in the classroom. The setup idea came from my own personal classroom experience. Second grade students do better when things are listed in order and on a list. This also provides a great review for those that missed a day. All they have to do is go to the page and complete assignments from home. Overall, this group project consisted of a lot of challenges. My group and I conquered the trials and persevered by having a positive attitude and getting it all figured out. View our website ![]() My learning experience: This week’s projects were small yet challenging. For project 9, my group and I met two times through Zoom to discuss the material of the project. We settled on me creating the Padlet account while I added everyone to collaborate. Padlet is a tool I have only used once very briefly. I have never been the creator, so it was neat to see the different options you get when you’re the main collaborator. My group and I decided to make our Padlet a place where our students could come find resources for our Array lesson plan. Next, Teresa, Steven, and William each created a Thinglink. I was able to experience their creations second hand and even helped create an Array City background. I love the idea of a Thinglink as a way to make learning a bit more fun and entertaining for students. It gives them an image to look at while clicking on different links that takes them to interactive activities or classwork that must be done. Project 10 was to be done independently. I decided to create an Array review for students to use in the classroom or at home. The program I went with was Quizizz. I was already familiar with Kahoot and decided it was a good idea to expand my horizon by exploring a new digital tool. Quizizz is a neat tool to have in case Kahoot does not work, but it will probably not be my first option when it comes to my professional job. Although Quizizz does provide 5 different ways to create questions, teachers look for something quick and easy to learn to navigate. I had a few problems understanding the different types of questions one can use with Quizizz, especially the fill in the blank option. Kahoot is simpler and to the point when it comes to creating a fun review. Kahoot also provides a video game type of feeling that gets my students excited. Overall, I did like learning about a new digital tool, but for now I will say that Kahoot is a better fit for my classroom. Another part of project 10 was to create a rubric. Rubistar was the program assigned for us to use. It is a program that I actually used in my undergraduate classes for education. I actually forgot this tool existed and was glad to revisit it. It saves a lot of time for teachers! I decided to create my rubric for the student’s Array City project. The rubric contains 5 categories that a second grader can comply with when creating and presenting a Google Slide project. Due to Rubistar’s simplicity, creating the rubric was easy. Overall, projects 9 and 10 were not hard to tackle, but they did require time to get creative. All tools used for these projects are more than likely going to be used in my classroom this coming up year. Project Materials and Links
![]()
![]() Chapter Eight 1.Have you had any distance education or blended course experiences? Try to remember what were the benefits and the disadvantages of that experience. If you have not had either type of course, try to imagine what it would be like and what characteristics of it you would like and which ones you would not. Why? The 2020-2021 school year was the year where I was doing distance education as a student and was teaching in a blended classroom setting. I will have to say that both come with their challenges and perks. As a student, I really appreciated distance education due to the flexibility it provided. I was able to conquer the classroom setting as an educator while setting time aside to work on graduate work. My distance education classroom was set up to where a student can access their work whenever and wherever they are. One of the greatest challenges I faced was not having a teacher teaching me face to face. This was my first time experiencing a classroom where I was going to have to do most of the teaching myself by reading material, researching, and looking at videos my professors assigned. Although it was set up in a flexible setting, I have always done better when being instructed what to do. I feel that as a student one must be more independent in their studies. Though this can pile up schoolwork and my professional duties all at once and become stressful. Teaching in the classroom this past year, I had to utilize a blended classroom to allow students to work independently in class while communicating through Google Classroom from home and even at school. It was the best way to incorporate partner work while social distancing. Project Reflection: This week’s projects consisted of a lot of video editing. We were to use screen capture while adding interactive activities for students to use. My lessons concentrated on teaching about rows and columns. I started with a simple Google Slide presentation that grew to a better and greater presentation. I enjoyed the process on how each video grew with the interactions our students could use. However, the editing part took a bit longer than expected. Narrowing project 7 to three minutes was very hard for me. It is my natural teacher instinct to talk and over teach. Recording myself helped me keep the lesson simple and to the point with enough instruction to keep students engaged. I enjoyed getting creative with the way I pointed out the rows and columns for each array example. These videos will most definitely be used in my classroom this coming up year. All of the recordings made me realize how they can be a great tool to use as a way to keep teachers accountable on how time is being utilized in their classroom. They are a fast and quick way to share with other teachers in your team, and use as an accountability check with one another. I plan to introduce this idea to my team as a way for us to see each teachers teaching methods and hopefully learn more from each other without having to leave our classrooms. The project that stood out to me the most was project 8. Edpuzzle was a new tool for me, and it is something I will be utilizing with my students this coming up year. The engagement of the videos are made meaningful by adding the comprehension questions throughout the video. Overall, all three projects were challenging yet educational. Weekly Projects: Project 6 Project 7 Project 8 Code: renboss ![]() 2. Many are concerned about the use of social media in school. Describe your views of the pros and cons of using social media. How will you use this tool in your classroom and what are your greatest concerns in doing so? Social media is a tool that has allowed us to expand our knowledge of the world around us with access to millions of resources about our own hometowns or places across the whole world. As someone with family that lives in another country, social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have allowed me to stay connected to my loved ones abroad. In respect to using these tools in the classroom, a teacher can deepen student knowledge in a more modern and engaging way. Social media opens the doors for communication and collaboration in a variety of ways. In a high school social studies classroom for example, Twitter is used to connect students to current events. In a second-grade classroom, tools such as Facebook and Remind are used to connect parents with the happenings of the classroom. A form of social media I have used in my classroom is Flipgrid. I utilize this platform to allow students to create video content to share and interact with their classmates, in a similar manner to YouTube but more student friendly. This also allows me to integrate the technology standards required by the state and school district. While social media has many benefits for classroom use, it also comes with its cons. This day and age, social media has become idolized by much of the younger generation as a basis for judging the popularity and success of others. Within my classroom, social media has not become a huge problem among my students unless that student has been heavily exposed by a sibling or older family member. Social media has become so relevant that even my seven-year-old students will be treated like outsiders if they are not up to date with the most current TikTok trends. This is concerning to me because social media topics often distract my students during their independent work time. When this social media talk happens, the kids that are excluded due to their lack of social media exposure often feel left out and are bullied during resource and enrichment times, as well as outside of the classroom. This can continue well into the future since it has to do with how a child is raised in their home life. Overall, social media can be a useful tool in the classroom, but it has to be used in moderation in order to avoid some of its uglier aspects. My Learning Experiences Creating the projects for the week consisted of a lot more communication than the previous week. My group members and I met 3 times via zoom while texting on a daily basis. Just like last time, we each utilized our specialized talents to divide the tasks amongst ourselves. We agreed that Teresa would help with the survey, Steven would create the document, William helped the group with the lesson plan, and I created the slide show while also providing knowledge of the 2nd grade classroom to the group. We each then collaborated to inset images and text to the Google Document and the Google slides. These projects were great exercises to show us how to work together in a collaboration of projects. The trickiest part for me was creating the podcast. Thinking of an idea for what to say was a bit overwhelming to me. There were so many 2nd grade math subjects I wanted to talk about. I decided to go with a guided activity students could listen to from home or even in the classroom centers. The activity consisted of me welcoming the students and reminding them of the vocabulary words we have been reviewing in class. I then had them do arm exercises that reminded them of the direction rows and columns go. From there, I had them making an array with rows and columns by specifically calling out the number of rows I wanted and how many squares I wanted in each row. I later provided examples doing the same exercise but with columns. The goal was for the podcast to be interactive and hands on. It was also made to help all types of learners whether kinesthetic, visual, or auditory. ![]()
![]()
![]()
![]() Group four has been a dream team! As a teacher, I have always found that working with a group makes it easier when there are relationships build from the beginning. That is exactly what this group did. Group four began emailing the first week through Canvas to establish a Zoom where we would begin discussing the course. That first meeting was used as an ice breaker for all of us to meet and get to know who we were. We were able to learn where we were from, what programs we were a part of, and the careers we currently uphold. When a member could not attend, we made sure to catch them up by shooting a group email and texting the group. Next, we began meeting for our first project, our group used Zoom to collaborate as much as we could. We had a total of three Zoom meetings to buckle down all the main points that had to be taken care of. William and I took care of creating a Lesson and action plan that would best incorporate education with technology in a classroom. Meanwhile, Steven and Teresa worked on the executive summary, classroom layout, and the budget. Our documents were loaded to a Google Drive. We found that to be the quickest way to access everything we needed to complete the final project. Overall, each group members talent was used when collaborating in the assignment which made the experience run smoothly. Click below to access the File attachment of our project: ![]()
![]() Chapter 4: 2. Multimedia encompasses multiple media combined into a single integrated whole. Considering that there are three basic learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic, what do you think are the advantages of using multimedia in a classroom presentation or in a piece of software, rather than strictly audio or visual technologies? Chapter four does a great job of introducing different types of technology tools such as tablets, Ebook Readers, clickers, digital cameras, and so much more. As a teacher, going through the chapter was a good refresher to see the best tools used when teaching and accommodating different types of learners. I currently teach second grade in a school district that wants us to incorporate technology as much as possible. A lot of classroom presentations are done with the help of a Smartboard and ipads. To ones surprise, an ipad can be a tool that helps auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. For example, when teaching a lesson about prefixes and suffixes, I like creating a Nearpod, which is a website to create interactive presentations, to help all the different types of learners in my classroom. The lesson starts by giving students the Nearpod link and a code to insert in the student ipads. The teacher then controls the slides, that contain pictures and examples, to guide the lesson. The slides are how the teacher implementing visual skills into the lesson. When reviewing the slides, the teacher makes sure to voice and read examples, while also listen to one or two clips of a video to help the auditory learners. The lesson also consists of games where the students get to push buttons and race characters when answering a question which later on helps my kinesthetic learners. When creating presentations like these, it not only helps different types of learners it makes the learning engaging and fun for everyone. Chapter 5: 1.Of all the types of teacher task software, which do you feel are the most essential for you to have to help you manage your classroom? Explain how each would benefit your teaching. Teaching in a year of a pandemic meant having to utilize a lot of different teacher task software that would bring engagement into my classroom. A well engaged classroom makes for a well-managed classroom. One software that helped the most was various types of simulations. The pandemic put a stop to real life fieldtrips and classroom guest. When learning about habitats, students were given links to simulations that allowed them to explore different settings such as deserts, jungles, forest, and so much more. The simulations were hands on, came with fun sounds, and even contained different images with facts about what was inside the habitat. Chapter five also talks about another simulation that was used in my classroom for our space unit. Page 159 talks about the NASA Kids Club simulations that has multiple science and engineering simulations and guides one can use in the classroom. Another type of software that’s been helpful are the Word Processing software’s. With Word, a teacher can create PowerPoints to guide lessons, collect student data with excel, type documents using Word, and so much more. Google Documents is another system my school relies a lot on. Although not talked about in the chapter, it still contains the basics of a Word Processing System. It is helpful due to the fact that teachers can easily share documents with the click of a button. It also connects to our Google Classrooms and our students’ files can be assessed quicker. Software systems are all around and will continue to benefiting teachers in different ways. Chapter 6: 2. Learning content within the framework of a language that is not your native language can be challenging. Consider how you would respond to this challenge. What technologies would help you if you were facing learning new content in another language? Learning a different language is something that is both rewarding and difficult. I learned English at the age of eight years old in a city where not many spoke Spanish or had the technology offered to us today. One technology tool that was used back in the early 2000’s was videos and audio books. An English Language Learner (ELL) learns best when having visuals and voiceovers (audio). As a teacher, I have taught a hand full of ELL students, and although their learning journey is similar to mine, it is also different. Each student has their own learning needs. Chapter six concentrates a lot on multimedia programs, websites, and apps one can use today to help ELL students. A multimedia program like Pronunciation Power is readily accessible to teachers with ELL students and requires very little planning on the teachers’ part. Multiple programs like this one have been created to give an equal and fare chance to those who speak another language. Pronunciation Power is an example of a tool I would use to help with vocabulary skills and teach meanings of words. There are also multiple websites and apps full of lesson plans that intergrade the best practices of how to teach a certain lesson to someone that may speak a different language. When I was younger, there was a lack of teacher understanding when it came to teaching an ELL student. Today teachers are able to reach different resources that gives them the best way to communicate understanding to an ELL student. ![]() Chapter 1: 1.What standards do you feel are most relevant to your teaching and to your content area and that will challenge you the most? What strategies will you employ to become familiar with these standards so that you can more easily address them in your classroom? Chapter 1 of Teaching and Learning with Technology focuses on different standards such as Common Core Standards Initiative (CCSSO), International Society for Technology in Education Technology (ISTE), and the Association for Education Communications and Technology (AECT). All of these standards help shape the aspects of how a lesson will be taught while also determining the roadmap on what a student needs to know. Now there will be times where some standards may be of better use to an educator, or it’s also a possibility to live in a state that merges the standards all at once in a way to understand and equipped clear understanding to educators. I will have to say that as a second grade teacher following the CCSSO standards is more relevant. The CCSSO is full of objectives and standards that help measure my students' education. The state of Mississippi provides educators K-12 standards that a student must comply with and successfully complete by the end of a school year. Mississippi also provides technology standards that students must practice for each grade. For example, in second grade technology standards are combined with writing standards. The standard reads “ELA2.W.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question” (mde, 2021). When looking at the AECT standards, which are designed to focus on the design of how instruction should be managed with technology, the writing standard correlates to the content knowledge standard provided. When looking at the ISTE standard, which is where the AECT standards begin to form, the Knowledge Constror states that “Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others” (ist.org,2021). The point I am showing is that even though I concentrate on the common core standards the most, all standards build from one another to provide the best education for learners. I plan on continuing to attend teacher workshops that will continue to implement all the standards needed for my career. The technology standards are something that will be around for a long time. However, technology tools that teachers can implement in a classroom will continue to change. For me to be a better teacher, I must continue to practice the latest and updated standards for my school district and state. Chapter 2: 1. Identify a favorite teacher in elementary or secondary school. Describe three teaching or learning strategies that this teacher employed to meet your own learning needs that were significant in helping you learn. Why do you think they were effective for you? One of my favorite teachers had to be my sixth grade reading teacher. I learned English at the age of eight but did not quite reach proficient knowledge of the language until probably high school. If I am being completely frank, I sometimes continue to struggle with the comprehension aspect of it at times. All that to say, my 6th grade reading teacher went above and beyond to make sure I always understood what was being taught, and she even managed to teach me how to fall in love with reading. My sixth grade teacher used various learning strategies to make sure I always understood what I was learning. One learning strategy she used was understanding my cognitive style, also known as my personality. She knew that I had only been speaking English for three years by the time I made it to her class. As expected, I was very quiet and shy. It was in her class that I began to gravitate more towards chapter books. I remember being so excited about something happening in the book that I would go to her after class and talk her ear off about what I had read. Growing up, I realized that she did not do that with other students. She used that time to let me shine and work on my English comprehension skills. It was her way to allow me to have a safe place to communicate my understanding in reading. Another learning strategy used by her was the multiple intelligences theory. The theory consists of different learning strategies for different types of learners. I was not the common student she was used to having. So, she pinpointed my three main intelligences and used them to my advantage. Those were Musical, Spatial, and bodily-kinesthetic. Her musical skills were used to help me learn prepositions and adverbs. Surprisingly enough I still remember the songs! I was in band and music always came easier for me to relate with. Spatial was used to show me pictures of what I was learning. She taught me all about the plots of stories using a picture of a roller coaster while also implementing a song with it. Last but not least she used bodily-kinesthetic to go over different words which helped me remember the meanings by performing the movements. I now see that my teacher got to know the best learning styles for me. There are three main ones: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. From the following examples I have shared, it is evident that I used a little of all of those learning styles. I believe that when you are an English language learner (ELL) student, it takes a lot to fully comprehend what is being taught. My teacher used all of the things I loved doing to make things engaging and meaningful. Now, I continue to due the same for my students wether ELL or normal English speakers. Chapter 3:
In my opinion, after reviewing the DID steps and understanding their backgrounds, I feel like the hardest step for me would be step four, selecting the supporting technology. This year’s pandemic challenged teachers in ways we never expected. Technology was offered to us, but the problem was finding the right and appropriate tools for our students. For example, a second grader cannot work a computer or iPad the same way as a fifth grader. A way in which I overcame this difficulty, was by first concentrating on the required standards and objectives my learners where required to learn. I then concentrated on the specific technology strategies located in the writing standards that second graders are asked to work on. For example, hey are asked to begin basic research skills to learn about different topics. After years of trying to find the best tools, I found kid friendly search engines like Ducksters.com and KidRex.com that allows students to freely find information they would understand. I do, however, believe that to keep up with technology I must continue to attend professional developments that teach us about the up-and-coming tools. Technology is continuously changing which is why finding the right tools can be challenging but not impossible. ![]() Education: Children at a young age always say "I'm going to be a teacher when I grow up!" Or "I'm going to be a doctor!" Believe it or not being a teacher was the LAST thing I ever wanted to do. According to my parents I always said I wanted to be a Lawyer so I could be rich. Little did I know that I would be rich but in a way I never expected. My heart was rich with joy, knowledge, and perseverance the day I chose to officially make my major Elementary Education. Hello! My name is Paulette Vargas and you're about to embark into a bit of my learning, career, and technology journey. My teaching dream began in 2016 during my Junior year at Mississippi College. I had to face the reality of having to add an extra year to my college career, but I was willing to face that challenge. Throughout my time there, I learned to work with different tools, that have shaped me into the teacher I am today. Those consisted of TK20, SMART board programs, iMovie, Quick player, Youtube, reading literacy skills, educational standards,Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and many more. In May of 2018, I became the first one in my immediate family to graduate in the United states with a Bachelor's degree. In August of 2020, I got accepted into the Human Capital Development (with an emphasis on Instructional Technology) Masters Program. This is yet another first for me and my family, for I will now hold the first Masters Degree in my family. It has all been a learning process for sure! I am a full time teacher while also finishing up a degree fully online. Throughout the way, I have met people from all over Mississippi, Louisiana, and now Texas! I have also learned to implement educational tools while using the following instructional programs: Canvas, Schoology, and Wix. Career: This year marks year three of teaching second grade in Mississippi's Public School Systems. Every year is an adventure where I learn something new to enrich my career as as teacher. After surviving a pandemic school year, I can proudly say there is not a challenge I am not willing to take. The 2020-2021 school year has been one I will never forget. It was full of unknowns, bumps, and reevaluating the guidelines for the school year. I was a full face to face teacher from day one. We started with a soft start where we taught in person for four days, and virtually for one. That one day allowed for disinfection in the classroom and school wide. That day also let teachers work on ways to implement technology as a way to create engaging lessons where students would not physically touch other students work . Thankfully, I work for a school district that went above and beyond to train all teachers with all the Google programs a year before we got hit hard with the pandemic. Through my work experience, I have gained knowledge in every tool Google can possibly offer. For example, Google Classroom, Drive, Document, Slides,Forms,Sheets, and Sites. Google Classroom was the main tool I used with my second graders. Each student was given their own ipad to help bring interaction into the classroom while socially distancing when working in small groups. It also allowed any quarantine student to partake with the classroom activities when at home. In Google Classroom, my students were able to find links to educational search engines, like Ducksters.com. They could also find weekly quizzes, and even access their centers. My overall experience as a teacher has been an unforgettable and rewarding one. I look forward to continuing my growth and expanding my horizons. Technology: The world of education and technology is continuing to expand and change. My knowledge in technology consist of the following:
Teaching Philosophy: I believe learning must be engaging for a student to fall in love with it. As a teacher who has grown up in the 21st century of technology, I find it important to stay in tune with the constant changes in the digital world. With new generations come new ways for students to maintain their engagement in the classroom. The norms of society point to the digital world when it comes to education and even everyday life. Yes, technology is a great tool to use, but I also believe that everything comes with a limit. |
AuthorPaulette Vargas |