FINAL+Class+Reflection

Ed 5364 was what I felt to be the most useful class so far that I have taken for my Master’s Degree. Most of the classes where either just using technology where I was able to do the entire course in a matter of a few hours, or a course that I felt was more designed for Administration than technology. This course helped me see how to use technology in other classrooms and what would be required of me to use it in other classrooms. I feel that I am comfortable using technology in my classroom. Computer Science is designed to use technology, but I need to learn how to get other teacher and to see how technology can be used in other classrooms. Our group assignment was to make a unit plan for a 5th grade science project. This was an assignment that I felt was something realistic that I could see in the future. It also allowed me to go out side of my comfort zone, taking into consideration that science is not a subject matter that I am comfortable with, and I was able to use technology to come up with a lesson that I felt was appropriate for the class and the assignment that included aspects of programming and Computer Science to help reinforce our lesson set. There where a few assignments and reading that I felt really spoke to me and helped me to understand some of my frustrations. For instance in week 4 the readings discussed what I consider 2 of my largest frustrations with other Teachers and their lack of use of technology. Frustration 1: While the technology is there, it is not being used properly or at all by the teachers. Frustration 2: we need to use different technology in the school: for example “cooperative learning”, “or web-enabled multiplayer simulation games” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski, 2007). There are many things that I feel can and should be improved in schools with the use of technology by the schools. Most of these improvements are either low cost or no cost to the school districts. Web 2.0 tools are already available to schools and can be used. I also felt the group project demonstrated that technology can be used in the classroom to do a group project. During this class group project, we formed a group of 4 students that worked together to do a group project. It was easy to tell who did what for the group and while it was a group project that we had to work together on, it was easy to see who did what contribution since the all the conversations where on line and easy to see what the conversation had to say. I felt the Videos from week 4 where the most influential to me. I can remember telling my students that they do not need me to check programs to see if it was correct. If it works it is correct, if it doesn’t its wrong. This is a lot like playing games; students receive immediate feedback instead of having to wait to see if the answer is correct or wrong. I believe the reason students like games is because of the immediate feedback. Students want the immediate feedback, but this is impossible in a classroom setting. Games give students the immediate feedback that the students needs. The week 3 videos also showed many tools that can be used if the school district technology department allows it. For instance Vicki Davis in Georgia uses Open Sims. This is a free program that allows students to create virtual worlds. The problem with this program is that it needs to be on a server for students to use. Without the help of the technology department the use of Open Sims is not possible even though it is a completely free program and a great learning tool.

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, New Schools//. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts Edutopia.org. (nd). Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from Http:// [|www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis] Big Thinkers: James Paul Glee on Grading with Games Edutopia.org (nd) Big Thinkers: James Paul on Grading with games. Retrieved on March 22, 2011 @http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video