Reflection

I have always believed that providing children with a positive, hands-on learning environment is beneficial to their learning. As this course is wrapping up, I will carry with me a lot of new strategies and ways to incorporate them in my classroom. I realized the importance of incorporating technology in my classroom and how to better prepare my students for the future. I also became familiar with the behaviorist learning theory as I often related it to my teaching pedagogy.

I enjoyed learning new ways of incorporating technology into my classroom. Two technology tools that I found interesting and will bring back to my own classroom are concept maps and voicethread. Using concept maps with my kindergarteners will help me in introducing new concepts and relating different ideas. With the younger students, I often have to start very basic and build from there. Although it would take a while and a lot of adult help, I think my students would enjoy creating a voicethread. Some people think that this would be too hard for a kindergarten student but I believe that they can do anything they are taught.

My two most important long-term changes that I would like to make regarding technology integration are to be more involved in professional development opportunities and to get out of my "routine" of lecture and use more of the technology that I am familiar with. Achieving these goals are easy if I put my mind to it and step outside of the box. It is easy to start the school year with your usual routines and continue on with what you are most comfortable with. I feel that if I took the opportunities of different trainings that we are offered throughout the school year as "optional" I would be able to learn new things to incorporate in my classroom. I would also be able to share new ideas with my colleagues. Throughout this course and previous courses I have taken, I have learned several ways of incorporating technology in my classroom. I want to take advantage of this and enhance my student's learning.

Voice Thread

voicethread.com/share/897609/

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Social learning has become a large part of instruction now days. Whether we realize or not, we all use social learning in one way or the other. In my classroom, I think it is important for the students to learn from each other. Even as a teacher, I learn from my students every day. Several of my students' assignments are completed in cooperative learning groups. Especially at the young age of 5 and 6, it is important for students to learn to work together. In the real world, we have co workers and we must work with them and come up with solutions in a presentable manner. When working together, students learn to be leaders and followers. This also allows my students an opportunity to work on their social skills.