EDLD+5364+Reflection+Week+5

**Sprite Know **

=EDLD 5364 Cohort 17 =

Garland ISD
Having work throughout this course in the weeks nearing the administration of TAKS test was indeed a challenge. I was able to apply some of the material learned within my TAKS preparation lessons and I hope to master this new knowledge to include it in the course of my teaching during next school year.

Due to the fact that this was my third course in the Educational Technology Masters Degree with Lamar University, I was well aware of the availability of Web 2.0 tools and how to use them in my practice as an educator. In the interim between EDLD 5306 and EDLD 5364, I was able to learn more about blogs and wikis, as well as attending a professional development course on how to start a Garland ISD secure blog. My class in now connecting and engaging in learning through the use of a gBlog provided by GISD, which I maintain and keep updated with the most relevant and age appropriate, curriculum based online activities. My students are motivated and eager to participate and parents have approved its use in class and at home. Reflecting on Pitler’s (2007) words that “Now more than ever, technology allows students to collaborate on projects without the constraints of time or geography.” I found the use of our blog during the spring break of great help, allowing students to practice math and science activities to reinforce what they had learned the previous week, in order to keep them focused and avoid the gap in those specific lessons across time.

During the course of this month I extended that background knowledge to areas that I found invaluable to any educator, whether teaching elementary, high school or college. One of the most interesting activities I learned about was the creation of an eBook through the UDL Book Builder site. It was for me an amazing way to build a foundation for my students in the creation of web presentations. I can see this as a platform for them to later get involved in Web Design and Flash programming. The fact that this is an online, free tool makes it easily accessible and essential to any educator of the 21st Century, whether teaching writing, reading, art, science, math or any other subject.

Another tool that I was already aware of, and using in my lessons, was the Kidspiration software. I selected this for my Action Research Project developed in EDLD 5301 Research for Teachers and we had been using it in the classroom for over a month before I started this course. Nonetheless, the readings and videos that I was exposed to during this course gave me an added layer of knowledge about the implementation of graphic organizers and other capabilities of the Kidspiration software. One of the most interesting ways we applied this in class was also developed during the collaborative project to design a solution to the Project scenario. My team decided to use Kidspiration in the Anticipatory Set as well as to Introduce and model new knowledge, with the students’ created Learning Cycle chart. This was a new way for my class to use the software and it really engaged students in the problem solving lesson.

Overall, this course provided a lot of new ways in which to implement technology in the classroom. Especially, in providing a way to differentiate instruction through the Universal Design for Learning techniques, to meet individual student’s needs. I believe in the next publication of Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools the following quote would read in a slight different way, editing the phrase “will alter… teachers’ patterns of practice” for a more accurate, reflecting reality statement “has altered … teachers’ patterns of practice”.

“Web 2.0 Tools will alter students’ and teachers’ patterns of practice, inside the classroom and out.” (Solomon, & Schrum, 2007)

In only four years since its publication we can clearly see the majority of its statements being applied now in many educational levels. At least I know I have!

__References__:

Pitler, H. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. ASCD. Pg.153 Solomon, G, & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: new tools, new schools. Intl Society for Technology in educ. Kindle Edition, Loc.1739 - 1743