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A Reflection on Technology Education
Technology education pushes itself further and further into curriculum development. The ceiling for this seems boundless and each day something new and cutting edge pokes its way into the mainstream. This course taught me that there are plenty of alternative programs besides the usual Microsoft Office and Wikispaces to create stimulating lessons, projects, and resources for students.
Some of the programs that were ultimately impressive include the site which this webpage was created--Weebly. Through weekly, myself, or a student for that manner, can create a webpage that showcases work, displays information, or even creates a nook of the digital world for a student to be responsibly heard. Another program that deemed useful was IWeb, a program used to make webpages from templates with ease and post to the Internet. This program would be easy to navigate and fairly basic in construction. The only downside to this program is that it is limited to Mac based computers. Most of our schools do not have Apple products, so this program could be limited. On the other hand, there are applications that are not user-friendly and could prove to be a challenge for students, especially at the middle school level. Prezi, for instance, seems like a basic presentation maker that could rival Power Point. While Prezi offers features, animations, and different eye stimulating effects that Power Point is inferior to, putting this effects together seamlessly proves to be challenge. My Digital Commerce lesson took three times as long to assemble in that program vs a typical PPT. Still, just like in the classroom, there is no one program or website that works for all students. Through differentiation, students could research on the web to find a program that works right for him/her for construction. Some of these students could even collaborate on a task using one of these cutting edge platforms. If I had been offered the support of a fellow classmate in this course, perhaps my Digital Commerce presentation would enhanced and polished.
Valuable resources also play an essential role in the vigor of this course. Texts used, and articles read provide an array of information and opinions about all networks of the digital world. Our students are engulfed in media already. It only makes sense that we too step into this world to become better educated and well-rounded teachers. Students need to be taught that their digital footprint, digital integrity, and responsibility needs to be carefully monitored so that they do not harm themselves, others, or become susceptible to online dangers. It is our responsibility to make sure the parameters are formed for successful digital lives.
Even within our own instruction we can become more technologically dependent and still foster the needs of our students. We learned, saw classmates use, and explored variations of media to make this possible. This whole process is a lot more complex than saying you will try it--you have to do it to be successful. I am fortunate enough where I have a projector in the ceiling connected to my computer so I can try some of these new medias. Students get tired of the same old Power Points and Word documents. A little pizzazz, new ground, and creativity could spark new interest in otherwise boring topics like grammar and MLA citations. Personally, I have already began constructing another Weebly site that students can access different writing tools from home or at school. Hopefully, they will make use of these tools and choose individual skills they need to work on in order to become better writers.
Overall, I see this course as a necessary tool to stay digitally viable in a changing educational world. Teachers need to be at the forefront of this sift from traditional textbooks to savvy Nooks and IPads. While we all may not agree what social medias are acceptable in school, who should mandate them, or how much technology is too much, it is certain that we are the keepers of new information to bestow upon our students. Let's keep them safe online, responsible, show them how to purchase items from reputable sites, show them how harsh words could have legal consequences, but most of all, show them choice. Show them creativity. Show them that there are new means of communication out there each day for them to explore academically and socially. As adults, we are often faced with new changes in our lives, some digital, some as simple as a flavor of coffee, or vodka depending on the time of day. Our students are facing even more choices and challenges as a younger generation. We need well-rounded and educated students to make smart choices that will impact their lives.
~Ed Tartaglia Jr.
Some of the programs that were ultimately impressive include the site which this webpage was created--Weebly. Through weekly, myself, or a student for that manner, can create a webpage that showcases work, displays information, or even creates a nook of the digital world for a student to be responsibly heard. Another program that deemed useful was IWeb, a program used to make webpages from templates with ease and post to the Internet. This program would be easy to navigate and fairly basic in construction. The only downside to this program is that it is limited to Mac based computers. Most of our schools do not have Apple products, so this program could be limited. On the other hand, there are applications that are not user-friendly and could prove to be a challenge for students, especially at the middle school level. Prezi, for instance, seems like a basic presentation maker that could rival Power Point. While Prezi offers features, animations, and different eye stimulating effects that Power Point is inferior to, putting this effects together seamlessly proves to be challenge. My Digital Commerce lesson took three times as long to assemble in that program vs a typical PPT. Still, just like in the classroom, there is no one program or website that works for all students. Through differentiation, students could research on the web to find a program that works right for him/her for construction. Some of these students could even collaborate on a task using one of these cutting edge platforms. If I had been offered the support of a fellow classmate in this course, perhaps my Digital Commerce presentation would enhanced and polished.
Valuable resources also play an essential role in the vigor of this course. Texts used, and articles read provide an array of information and opinions about all networks of the digital world. Our students are engulfed in media already. It only makes sense that we too step into this world to become better educated and well-rounded teachers. Students need to be taught that their digital footprint, digital integrity, and responsibility needs to be carefully monitored so that they do not harm themselves, others, or become susceptible to online dangers. It is our responsibility to make sure the parameters are formed for successful digital lives.
Even within our own instruction we can become more technologically dependent and still foster the needs of our students. We learned, saw classmates use, and explored variations of media to make this possible. This whole process is a lot more complex than saying you will try it--you have to do it to be successful. I am fortunate enough where I have a projector in the ceiling connected to my computer so I can try some of these new medias. Students get tired of the same old Power Points and Word documents. A little pizzazz, new ground, and creativity could spark new interest in otherwise boring topics like grammar and MLA citations. Personally, I have already began constructing another Weebly site that students can access different writing tools from home or at school. Hopefully, they will make use of these tools and choose individual skills they need to work on in order to become better writers.
Overall, I see this course as a necessary tool to stay digitally viable in a changing educational world. Teachers need to be at the forefront of this sift from traditional textbooks to savvy Nooks and IPads. While we all may not agree what social medias are acceptable in school, who should mandate them, or how much technology is too much, it is certain that we are the keepers of new information to bestow upon our students. Let's keep them safe online, responsible, show them how to purchase items from reputable sites, show them how harsh words could have legal consequences, but most of all, show them choice. Show them creativity. Show them that there are new means of communication out there each day for them to explore academically and socially. As adults, we are often faced with new changes in our lives, some digital, some as simple as a flavor of coffee, or vodka depending on the time of day. Our students are facing even more choices and challenges as a younger generation. We need well-rounded and educated students to make smart choices that will impact their lives.
~Ed Tartaglia Jr.