Reflection

What key learnings from this course do you plan to utilize when you student teach or teach?
I think an important thing that I learned was how to use technology to add to a lesson to make it more effective. I'm really not very technologically savy so I was kinda opposed to the idea of using technology. Being in the class however gave me a little insight of how technology can be more beneficial to learning. One thing that I would use would be wordles. I think wordles are great for introductions and getting to know students but also for students to to get to know another. Wordles can also be used for learning in content areas. They can be used for different areas and different topics, they can be flexible and fun for students to create. Even little things like wordles can add something more to a lesson. Providing students activities to get them actively engaged in learning.
A WebQuests was another great example of how to incorporate the use of technology into a classroom to support a lesson. Creating a WebQuest helped to understand completely how to construct one that would be beneficial to the content that I would be possibly teaching in the future. Presenting them in class allowed everyone to see how they were differently used which helped to spark more ideas. WebQuests can be a great add on to a lesson but its important that it matches the lesson that you are teaching and that the objectives are met. Technology activities like a WebQuest are only beneficial to learning if it is used to support a lesson.
Another thing that I learned was through our presentations in class what as teachers we can use without violating copyright laws. This was an important topic to discuss because to be honest I didn't know what we can or cant do. Being aware that there is leeway and what are the basic rules was a good thing that we went over. When using technology like videos or movie clips I know what I can show with in those guidelines.
By taking this class I think I am more open to using technology in the classroom. When used in the right way it can really make learning active and engaging. It also keeps the attention of students and get them excited about learning.