There are so many gaps in the education, training and exposure for teachers to technology. A lot of teachers (new and experienced) are still a little hesitant to use technology completely in all of their lesson planning and delivery.
The amount of release time and any training provided to help with the steep learning curve is minimal and I think the school boards need to back-up their policy initiatives with money to put into helping teachers attain adequate proficiency and to keep current with the ever changing world of technology.
With that in mind, I want to express how excited and scared at the same time that I am about using technology going forward. There is so much software/hardware and programs that are out there to help a teacher engage the students and also help special needs students, it can be quite overwhelming. I have learned so many new things during the first 2 parts of the course, so far.
Voicethread, Google Docs, Skype, Clickers, all the software programs and web tools have changed my attitude and way of planning to teach. My discussion groups on Twitter have allowed me to discuss current issues with like-minded people and has changed my perspective on education completely. So many of the articles that I have read and researched have also helped me open my mind up to new ideas and strategies.
Now I am making sure that I think of as many ways of engaging the student with technology and applying it to my lesson planning and delivery. I am definitely thinking more now about my special needs students and how I can help them find a better, easier, more engaging way to learn that suits their needs or challenges. I have definitely become more aware of some of the gaps that I have when it comes to special needs planning.
Collaborating with fellow teachers and asking for their input on lessons and my planning, has allowed me to learn more quickly and realize how talented my fellow teachers are. The ideas that some of them come up with amaze me! The collaborations I have allow me to realize how committed they are to students and the impact they have on the students' learning.
The professional knowledge that teachers have demonstrated has been extraordinary! The teachers have exemplified their passion towards learning and have taught me how amazing the profession of teaching is and is becoming. From curriculum standards to adapting to engage each and every learner, and their commitment to keeping current, amazes me every day. I try to share and give back as much as I am taking and learning from each and everyone of them.
Collaborating and observing special needs students (ASD and GLD classes within my school) has allowed me to see what strategies and tools the teachers use for assessment of special needs students and some of the assessment can be used for the mainstream students, as well. Miscue analysis and other types of assessment that I had never heard of, can now be tried and tested within my learning environment. Through dialogue, inquiry and reflection my strategies now include how to improve in my assessment criteria and overall lesson planning and delivery.
Online forums such as Twitter and the hashtags associated with what type of discussions I wish to choose, including other discussion groups, has enlightened me and will continue to form a part of the educational community that I belong to and will help me keep professionally informed. Although it can be quite time consuming, in the end the teaching practice becomes well more rounded and current.
Throughout LE1 and LE2, it has become apparent to me how important it is to stay current in teaching and taking AQs is part of that learning curve. Learning about new software/hardware and studying about new programs available using technology all pertains to the teaching standard of ongoing professional learning. I am hooked now!
In conclusion, I am quite excited about what lies ahead in my learning curve, but realize that it will be up to me to put in the effort to achieve the professional level that I want or require to pass on this learning and impact each and every student that I teach.
Here's to the learning more and especially from this course!
Bring on LE3 and LE4........................................................
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