What an interesting journey this technology class has been for me! I have learned to create a blog, collaborate on a wiki, and record and upload a podcast. Blogging was not completely new to me, but making my own page was new. Wikis were somewhat frustrating for me, but I understand how I could use them in my classroom. The problem with a wiki in middle school is legalities. If I created a wiki for my class, my students would only be able to contribute to the wiki on my computer as I supervised. Blogging can be accomplished on the safe site my school already uses. After watching how other teachers are using blogging to engage students, I have begun to blog with my own students. Next semester, I plan to explore podcasting with my students. We will upload the podcasts to the school mp3 players. Incorporating these new technologies has sparked excitement in my students and in me.
As my students created a book trailer using digital media and published the project, it became evident to me that all students were engaged in the lesson. I became a resource to my students as they controlled the components of the trailer. Students had guidelines, project requirements, and a time frame in which to work. During this project, I saw firsthand that the learning my students were doing was centered in and controlled by them, not based on me. They made critical decisions such as the music, number of slides, and the narration that would be included. If a student had trouble, they asked their neighbor, not me, for help. Once the project was complete, students published their creation and added a discussion board to allow other students to view and make comments. For two days, students work headphones and they watched each other’s book trailers. This project has inspired me to continue to find new tools and to try new projects. My role as a teacher has changed and inspired me. Students are no longer bored, most days, and love expressing themselves with the new media tools.
To increase student achievement, I would like to find a way to create a wiki for my seventh graders. Although my administration will not allow the middle school students to use a regular wiki because of Internet regulations, I will learn how to use the wiki-like option on ThinkQuest, the safe site we use. In the next two years, I would also like to have all work posted online and make my class paperless. To make this work, I must continue to find unique ways for students to collaborate and ensure that all students have access to the Internet. I have three student computers in my classroom and am asking the administration for more. A goal for me is to create a reading /language arts class that seamlessly incorporates technology.
I am sharing the technology my students are using with my colleagues and hope that my team will join in the excitement. One way that will help in the transition for my teammates is to require students to add all projects to the ePortfolio. This year we are working on a major grade-wide project but only two teachers are using the ePortfolio. In the next two years, I will help the other three teachers to use the site.
As I reflect back to week one of this course, I now see that my RLA classes can be rich with technology. The one most important impact on my teaching would be the importance of blogging is some form. I may not be able to use a normal blog because of my students’ ages, but I can encourage my students to use our safe and monitored site. By posting to the site, the rigor and relevance is increased. Students feel empowered as they post their work for others to see. They feel more valued.
