EDLD+5364+-+Teaching+with+Technology

 //**Week 3 of EDLD Teaching with Technology Reflection: **// Using the UDL model for creating lessons and activities pushed me to ask the critical questions about the instructional process. This model, as it incorporates the three Universal Design for Learning networks, insures that the necessary pieces are included in the lesson. When we understand the “what” of learning then we insure that we are presenting facts in various ways to meet the needs of varying learning styles of our students. The “how” of learning provides the learner various ways in which to share how the learner organizes and expresses what they have learned to show understanding and mastery. And finally, knowing the “why” of learning is how we engage students and get them involved in the process of learning. This helps us to know that students are motivated to learn. Using various modes of technology are key to meeting this need as students come to the classroom with many different learning needs and styles and we have to meet those needs if we are to provide a meaningful learning experience.

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//**Week 5, Part 3 of the assignment: **//
In reflecting upon the assignment for this course and my experience in teaching and learning, I came to the point without classroom teaching experience. My time in education has been in the area of district communications with the past four years as the Instructional Technology Director, based upon my skills with training and people. However, I have spent the past 13 years providing service to teachers and sharing the news about what is good about Texas schools. So, as I embarked upon this endeavor to gain experience, learn from other teachers how to effectively teach teachers how to incorporate technology into our classrooms I came with high expectations that I would find the magic resource. When in fact, I have come to know that teaching with technology is about shifting a paradigm. Just as the young man in our text said to the superintendent, “Sir, I’m special ed, and I’ve been special ed all my life. But with this thing here,” he said, pointing to his laptop computer, “with this, I am just as smart as the next kid.” (Pitlar, 2007). I knew that technology would be the “it” factor for moving our classrooms from the 20th Century to 21st Century, but from the words of a student, this is why I do what I do to help teachers learn to teach with the tools of today’s students. Every student can learn. Every teacher can help them reach his/her potential.

In our assignment, first we tapped into each others’ expertise in a collaborative format, through our Google docs and the Google web site, and then looked at the needs of each student for meeting the learning goal. Personally, I believe that I am a life-long learner. This phase of my work experience is my second career. But, throughout my life, I have always been a learner. Though I did not use my History degree to teach for the first 20 years of my professional life, in my first job, I used the skills I had for training retail stores about the uses of products and the history of a 245 year-old crystal company. Life is about learning. There is not a job out there that our students will not have to learn and re-learn skills to be successful. I worked with companies as small as nine employees to more than 300. I learned to work with people with comfort and support the TEAM in whatever task was at hand. The collaborative experiences gleaned from this course exemplify 21st Century realities that our kids will face. The greatest challenge ahead is how to engage teachers to implement technology seamlessly into our classrooms that will reach the diversity of each learner. Today’s classroom simply cannot be held to the “cookie-cutter” rule of learning any longer. Each classroom has the slow-learner, the child with autism, the emotionally disturbed student, all with needs to meet the demands of a fast-paced world. Ultimately, as we create those lessons that meet those needs, we still have to ask the same four planning questions that Pitlar asked, “What will students learn? What strategies will provide evidence of student learning? Which strategies will help students acquire and integrate learning? Which strategies will help students practice, review, and apply learning?” (Pitlar, 2007) I believe that technology plays a critical role in answering those questions. Using real world tools, as we did in this assignment, wikis, blogs, discussion forums, and online participation allow students to connect with the same social skills with which they are comfortable.

As a member of a team of five administrators in our district, we just completed presenting a review of the book, __Macrowikinomics__, by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams to our leadership team. This book is very thought-provoking as it pushes our beliefs about learning and how the world functions. The book touches upon three critical theories about transparency, collaboration, and innovation, in that order. After five hour-long meetings, we were finally able to create a presentation. But, not until each of us was able to grasp the impact that each of these concepts has on our world, in our schools, hospitals, and businesses. I loved the dialogue and challenges created by the discussions among my peers because it causes us to consider new ways of thinking. Just as discussion about creating lessons in our assignment pushes us to think critically about using technology effectively for engaging students. I hear from teachers who tell me, “I just want to be left alone and teach kids what they need to know.” I ask, how do we know what they need to know? Look at how the world has changed in the past five, ten, fifteen years. If we teach them to think critically, ask questions, be inquisitive, they will be life-long learners. My greatest challenge is to move teachers to accept that we are living in a different time. To repeat the use of one of our readings, we will meet the needs of our students when we embrace the fact that, “the majority of classrooms will be much more supportive of learning when students are allowed to pursue their understanding of content through discovery, conversation, and completion of intellectual products.” (SEDL, 1999).

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works//. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 155-164.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). //Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism//. Retrieved on October 4, 2009 from []