EDU+583+Reflection

Reflect on the information, learnings, readings, and experiences of this course.
 * Reflection Statement (25 points)** VL✰, CPG✰◆ (Proposition #5A)

Compare this information to your original essential belief statement?

IN my original belief statement, I stated that learning in my room is collaborative, student-centered, and inquiry-based. After this class, I feel much more comfortable addressing the "wicked problems"--in other words, I feel validated in embracing a dynamic, ever-changing classroom because every group of students is different and unique.

What has changed and why?

I don;t think that my thinking has changed that much at all. If anything, I feel validated that the types of technologies I use to help students make meaning and express themselves are useful and valid tools.

What grade do you deserve and why?

In terms of what grade have I earned for the course, I truly believe that my products and presentations deserve full credit. I spent time planning, producing, presenting, reflecting, and revising. I know that my unit will always be changing due to the inherent wickedness of the way I teach.

How does what you learned change your thinking?

My thinking has always been TPACK centered. I suppose this comes from being a digital native and learning my whole life with technology at hand. What has changed for me is that I now realize that I must model my own cognitive processes more. I think that a more transparent environment in which students and colleagues can see how my processes work will be helpful when asking them to create things themselves.

How do you create a professional learning community that is committed to students and their learning?

In terms of creating a professional learning community, I find that making time to meet basic needs, establish rapport, and encourage students is essential so that they feel cared for and that the work we do is not busy work but a life's work. Learning to communicate in a language not your own is a lifetime of work, it is never-ending. I think that my students need lots of feedback and lots of chances to practice and try again. Ultimately I feel that connecting with my students across multiple platforms is the best way to reach them.

Why is it important to consider the backward design model when designing curriculum, instruction, assessment, and technology integration?

The backward design model is basically a genius model in my opinion. It is really the way I need to re-work all my units. I don't want ANY "busy" work, I do want scaffolding and multiple levels of Bloom's in order to reach the highest cognitive processes. Since I do not use a text, using this model will strengthen all of my scattered units into cohesive ones, with the understanding that TPACK is wicked and dynamic.

Why do effective practices in technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge promote student learning?

Is this really a question? Why do they promote student learning? Well, when you have a classroom dynamic that allows students to explore, play, discover, fail, try again, sing, dance, text, program....and none of this willy-nilly stuff, but in such a fashion that there is an end result expected and shared....kids really want to do these things. They are sick of textbooks, testing, worksheets. They want to experience life and share it and work it out. They need us to guide them. So, a teacher who has a handle on TPACK is going to understand what hooks her students. Once they are hooked, there is no promotion needed. It's just going to happen.

How do you design an engaging unit that integrates technology to ensure learning for every student?

You try really hard, and if it doesn't work out, you try something different.