Tekno Noob Not So Noobish Anymore...

It's been a long 13 weeks since I joined Inquiry and Technology SIPS. It's hard to imagine a time when I didn't have any clue about Xtranormal, GIMP software, Comic life, presi.com, etc. Truth be told, I can barely believe that I was hardly aware of these programs being available, let alone familiar with them...

During my 3rd semester practicum, I was (in part) against using technology in the classroom to any great degree. Since I was not exposed to technology very much during high school, I thought that emphasizing on technology would pull my students away from the traditional learning that would serve them well in University. However, what I discovered (during my practicum and during semester 4) was that I had grown to learn, and love, using technology as a student. Being an older individual, I was failing to give my students the same opportunities that I have already had in using and adapting to technology.

During semester 3, I made a gradual transition to begin using computer and internet technologies for my classes. This started out with a brief internet scavenger hunt in an effort to teach my students how to research information on the net. From there, students were instructed how to site specific information from the web using an MLA style guide. Finally, I had students conduct an online research assignment that was meant to serve their assignment in a debate regarding the Youth Criminal Justice Act. While this progression may have been rudimentary at best (and a weird form of corporeal punishment at worst) I believe my students began to appreciate the internet as a resource for information rather than something they can use to communicate with friends.

Still, during my practicum, I was very unfamiliar with technology and how I could use it efficiently and effectively in my classroom. Through the past few weeks and months, I have viewed several programs, websites, and applications that could be vital to my teaching career. I've gone further adapt several of thse programs for use in my classroom based on the curriculums I am familiar with. In turn, these programs have gone on to facilitate creating a few great tasks for my students to undertake in general (and specific) inquiry. My body of work, while small, shows that my understanding of technology in the classroom is growing. Since I have information planned out for tasks, assignments, and an entire unit, I can work towards developing every other unit to have similar tasks that will ensure great learning opportunities and a level of consistency in my classroom.

I must admit that there is still much work to be done. I have not fully explored the possibilities for creative lessons and units found in Intelligence Online, or the Galileo website. Each of these websites holds a tremendous amount of possibility which excites me in ways I never thought lesson planning could. I will no longer have to sit and think of simple exercises to push through a lesson. I will not have to go through the motions in a novel or a textbook because it's "what everyone else does". Instead, I can tap into a collective/collaborative wealth of knowledge that serves to aid me as I serve to contribute back. To me, this newfound collective approach to teaching leaves me filled with hope and inspiration to teach.

That's not to mention the importance of exploring my programs of choice to their fullest extent. I must work diligently in order to find the potential for each program. I must also intend on putting these programs into practice for my future students. The time for theory has ended. Now it is time to put what I have learned into practice...