Reflection+on+Teaching+with+Technology



1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?

At first, I came into this course hoping to learn some vital information on collaboration. This course did just that. This course taught me how to collaborate with a team and how to work on a time budget that was not fitting for no responses. I came into this course with an open mind and I am now finishing this course with much great information and many great websites. This is not my first time to work in google docs, but it was my first time in assisting a team to build a fantastic website. I am very excited about the team I am a part of and how well we worked with each other. The outcomes of this course met the essential knowledge I had first envisioned. I thought that this course is truly fun but also much work indeed. To achieve those outcomes, it brought a lot of time and effort from every part of our group. 2. To the extent that you achived the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not? Much of my work is substituting at various schools. The outcomes of this course is really not relevant to the work that I do now, but it will help me to achieve the most desirable employment in the future. I am looking to be able to use much of the knowledge I learned in this course, in my future employment. Where I substitute now, as a substitute teacher, you are not allowed to use much technology in the classroom. Many students are made to sit and listen to a lecture, work quietly, and independently on classwork. In the 21st century learning, of which we learned about in this course, they label that kind of environment as boring and not interesting. It is my dream someday, to be able to start up a private technology school, where students can learn the 21st century way. This learning will include technology, cooperative learning, many projects with collaboration and presentation.

3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them? One of the outcomes that I feel a failure to, is assisting my team members with the lesson for the group project. Since I have not been substituting long, and I have not been a teacher, my skills in putting details on the actual activities were absolutely none. I used my skills in creating the website and introducing the activity of technology to the students. Yes, everyone plays a big role in this group project, but it does help if you know what your team members are discussing. I viewed the TEKS to get a fill of junior high math. My strengths and positives starting showing through the website design. I really enjoyed incorporating pictures, videos, and graphics. Being creative is one of my strong points and I love to do that at every opportunity I get. Even though I could not assist them in the actual lesson, I was totally able to do what I love to do; that is be creative.

4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you? I was very successful in completeing all my assignments. Time management is a big thing in this class. You had to take the time you have and use it very wisely. Prioitize what you can, then look at the rest of it last. Each week I completed first what was most familiar to me, so that I can spend more of my time on what was not so familiar. I often took off Friday’s from work, just so I can make sure all my work was completed in a timely manner. Completing the readings and the postings have become the familiar part of each course. I found week three to be the most time consuming and stress related week. When Dr. Mason expressed time management for that week, I knew she meant business. There was so much work and so much collaboration that had to be done to make the project a success. I knew to make it happen, I had to stay ahead of the game.

5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes? One of the most important thing I learned about this course, is that I can be a leader. I answered questions to my fellow team members that I never thought I would be able to do. I learned that I can be myself and make good friends as well. In technology, I learned so much knowledge. There was the collaboration in google docs, even though I knew how to use it, I have never experienced it. The building of the website in google sites was awesome. It allows you to do so much with all your work right there in google docs. Google sites can transform any website, to a fantastic way of presenting information to an audience. My leadership skills became very apparent when I was getting emails of being overwhelmed. I felt at that time, I was there to encourage and lift up my team members and reassure them that everything will be ok. It was then I realized I was a true leader and can be a stronghold for everyone on my team.