Class Reflection

I think that I am taking so much new knowledge away from this course. I went into the class this semester with no understanding of what was going to be expected. All I knew was that this was a class about integrating technology into the classroom. I thought I knew how to integrate technology because teachers had always made us, as students, use PowerPoint and Word to complete projects and work. I learned that there is a much bigger world outside of Word and PowerPoint that many teachers and students never explore. It never crossed my mind to consider iPods and cell phones as technology, but I have learned that there are so many different items that we use everyday that can be successfully integrated into the classroom. It is so amazing to see how technology, when used correctly, can completely transform the classroom experience. Through reflection, I have come to see that teachers did not always use technology in the most appropriate ways. PowerPoint and Word may have been the easy solution, but they were not always used in the best context. Looking back on my experiences with technology in the classroom, I have realized that I need to learn from the mistakes I think my teachers made when it comes to technology. I think that it is so rewarding to have the opportunity to go through school for almost fifteen years as a student and then turn around and take on the role of teacher. For me, it makes me remember what I did not like as a student and it makes me want to create a classroom that is enjoyable and productive for my students. I have learned that students need to be challenged and there are so many avenues of technology that can be used to bring out that creativity.

Even after learning so much, I still want to learn more about two things. The first thing that I want to learn about is incorporating technology into the special education classroom. I know that I will have a class once I enter the program in the fall that specifically deals with assistive technology, but I feel as though this class was geared more towards the regular education classroom. It was so difficult to really understand how to incorporate technology into my particular content area because there is always going to be such a variety of needs. I think that I picked up some ideas along the way but, for the most part, I feel as though I am walking away with no clear idea of how to incorporate technology (such as iPods and computers) into my classroom without relying heavily or completely on assistive devices (i.e. switches, adapted keyboards). I also want to learn more about designing web pages. I have had such a great time putting together my portfolio, but I feel like I only have the basic of how to design a website. I want to spend more time learning how to put together something that has a little more substance.