Reflective Essay

In this paper, I will address ways the media, resources, and activities of this course helped to develop my technology skills as a professional teacher.  I will also explain how I have deepened my knowledge of the teaching and learning process concerning integrating technology in the classroom and what I would do to apply that knowledge to how I facilitate the changing classroom of the 21st Century.  Next, I will describe one Web 2.0 tool that I am open to trying in my classroom and what a potential roadblock to its implementation may be and what my plan is to overcome it.  I will also explain how this tool will assist students with 21st Century skills and the ISTE Standards for Students and teachers.  Then, I will set two long-term SMART goals for transforming my classroom environment in order to help students gain skills to be ready for tomorrow’s society and workplace and decide how I plan to accomplish these goals.  Finally, I will consider how the topics and concepts covered in my courses might align with an issue that I might want to study in my MSED program. 

The media, resources, and activities of this course helped to develop my technology skills as a professional teacher by introducing me to a breadth of new technology that I can use in my classroom.  I learned that when the blackboard was first invented, it was a new technology that transformed teaching (Laureate Education, 2015k).  Now, I am teaching remotely using a computer.  Technology has become part of transforming everyday teaching.  I had become accustomed to the ever-changing technologies used in education from being a student in high school when the internet was first installed to now not being able to teach without it.  It is quite amazing.  This course and its information, allows me to effectively reach my students during remote teaching to become creative and critical thinkers of the 21^st-century. 

Before this course, I did not know what Web 2.0 tools were or that there were technology standards for teachers and students.  I now understand that using these tools to facilitate students in finding unbiased information is more beneficial than providing them with the solution (Laureate Education, 2015i).  The 21^st-century skills critical thinking and problem-solving support students in “Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions (Dean et al. 2010).”  This is especially important right now as I am learning to navigate through Google classroom to teach art and communicate with my students.  The lesson I created with Google Sites helped me create other lessons that I can send to students to work on in their homes as we finish our school year online. 

Google Classroom is the Web 2.0 tool that I was not sure about using in my classroom because I only have two computers in my classroom.  I was concerned that with the lack of computers to student ratio, it would take too long for all students to access the wiki site I created and self-direct through the lesson.  However, it is perfect for the current situation we are experiencing.  Now the challenge is creating lessons that students can do with art supplies they may already have in their home instead of the abundance of unique art supplies they have access to in my classroom.  Once we return to school, I will try to overcome the ratio obstacle by using the site as my tool to keep all information in one location.  Also, I will use it as a tool for students that are ready to move ahead of the rest of the class or for students who might miss a class and need to catch up.  The sites will also be an excellent tool for students who need to work through the lesson again or at their own pace. 

Using the wiki sites for my lessons meets the following ISTE standards for students: 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits, 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems, and 4d: Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems (ISTE, 2016).  Using the wiki sites for my lessons meets the following ISTE standards for teachers: 2b: Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students, 3b: Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency, 3c: Mentor students in safe, legal and ethical practices with digital tools and the protection of intellectual rights and property, 4c: Use collaborative tools to expand students' authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally, 5a: Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs, 5b: Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning, 5c: Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning, 6a: Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings, 6b: Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field, 6c: Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems, and 6d: Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge or connections (ISTE, 2008).

I have set two long-term SMART goals for transforming my classroom environment in order to help students gain skills to be ready for tomorrow's society and workplace.  I will implement a wiki site for one lesson by the end of the school year of remote teaching with 70% participation.  I will communicate with parents about art room happenings using my classroom Twitter handle for biweekly for one school year.  The first goal will be communicated and tracked using Google Classroom.  Using this tool, I can assign the lesson and track the students who finish it.  The second goal will be a great communication tool for me to show parents what their students are working on and give them opportunities to interact with their students on their projects and have more of a participatory role in their students' art-making (Lemon, 2019). 

One issue I may explore in the MSED program is more widespread use of computers at the elementary level.  Our middle school and high school are 1:1 with Chromebooks, but our elementary is not.  I appreciate the quote at the beginning of Module 2 about limiting the new invention of a pencil to just a few students to see how it goes, and if it goes well, they will add more.  Then replace that word with "computers," and it is very eye-opening (Papert, 1984).  Why would one not give all students the latest technology to advance every student's learning for the better?  It does not make sense.  Every child deserves the best education that can be provided to them.  Therefore, schools need to provide all students, no matter what age, the technology that can provide the real opportunity. 

In conclusion, I am thankful for this course and others that are allowing me to be a master learner (Richardson, 2015) to bring the best education I can to my students so that I can help prepare children for the rest of their lives and be successful 21^st-century learners (Laureate Education, 2015h). 

References

Dean, C., Ebert, C. M. L., McGreevy-Nichols, S., Quinn, B., Sabol, F. R., Schmid, D., Shauck, R. B., Shuler, S. C., & Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2010). 21st Century Skills Map: The Arts. Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2016). Standards for students.            Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). Standards for teachers.            Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015k). The emergence of educational technology [Video file].   Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015h). The changing role of the classroom teacher: Part 1         [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015i). The changing role of the classroom teacher: Part 2          [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Lemon, N. (2019). Twitter in the initial teacher education arts classroom: Embracing risk-taking    to explore making learning visible. Art, Design & Communication in Higher    Education, 18(1), 81–97. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1386/adch.18.1.81_1

Papert, S. (1984). New Theories for New Learnings p. 3

Richardson, W. (2015). From master teacher to master learner. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.