Final Reflection

I cannot believe the Fall semester is over and we are now approaching the Spring. I have learned a lot in this class in terms of new and exciting technological tools to use in my future classroom. It has definitely been challenging at times because I have come to realize I am not as familiar with all the tools available in the classroom but I have enjoyed learning more about them. Going into this class I thought I would know a lot about the specific software and tools used within the classroom because I have grown up using the computer all my life. The MS Office screencast assignment was not too difficult but as the semester proceeded I began to feel like I was in over my head. I never realized all of the new technologies used within the classroom today and that we would be immersed in such a vast array of them. The Information Literacy Workshop was the most challenging for me because it required a lot of time and research on specific websites and evaluating their content. This waS also the first time I've created a rubric and lesson plan and it seemed a lot more complicated than I originally thought. The concept map was an interesting way to display information and the program was simple and easy to use. I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of the digital story because it was a way to express your feelings through animation, video and song.
Overall I am glad that I took this course because my main objective was to learn more about the tools and products on the computer that can be used to teach children in the classroom. I definitely think I have a better understanding of these tools and what kinds of assignments I can use them for in the classroom. It was difficult and frustrating at times but I learned more than ever that it is okay to ask for help. These tools will help me in my future field of education because I can use them to teach in a more exciting and engaging way. Students can make screencast to teach others an important skill or I can use digital storytelling to introduce a new topic to the class. Education should be about learning but I want my students to also have fun while they are doing it. So these tools will help make the students enjoy learning and be eager to come to class everyday.