I have a greater sense of the teaching and learning process now thanks to this course. I have always known that students learn differently but it was not until this course that I really started to understand this completely. I have a very small class (six students!) so after learning about how important it is to reach every student even if they learn differently, I have been able to implement this in my classroom. My students get at least fifteen to twenty minutes of one on one time each day, so I feel I have been able to meet their learning needs using various methods.
As a teacher, I have felt since day one that a classroom needs to be learner-centered rather than teacher-centered. Growing up and going through school, I had plenty of teacher-centered classes I was a student in. Honestly, those classes are the ones I remember the least from. I loved the classes where I was active and was able to discover things on my own and learn by doing rather than listening or taking notes. I vowed never to become the teacher that lectures and gives notes and tests. I have been using learning centers in my classroom so my students are independent and still learning. I take this time during the day to pull students and work with them one on one while the rest of the class is doing their centers. I have found this to be a very effective way of creating a learner-centered classroom.
I know that teachers are constantly learning and that this is something I need to keep up with as well. I came across many great education blogs with great resources and ideas to use technology in the classroom. I plan on continuing to read these so I can stay up to date on the latest technological ideas to try in the classroom. I also hope that my classmates continue to blog so I can read about what they are doing in their classroom to get new ideas as well. I think another great way teachers can learn is to go to professional development conferences and participate in the workshops provided. Recently in my school, a presentation was given about a new website for our school. The teachers were all able to use the new format and talk about it with the presenter. We are all very excited to get it up an running for the new year.
One goal I have for my future is to get parents more involved in the classroom. I think the best way to do this is through the use of technology. If I have a class website or blog then parents can stay up to date with what their students are doing. Many parents are becoming more technologically savvy, so I think they may be more apt to check a website. It would be great to upload a podcast or video of students giving a presentation for parents to view at home. Another goal I have set for myself is to get more technology in my classroom. Currently I have an interactive whiteboard and that is it. I would love to have more at my hands to enhance my teaching experience and my students learning experience. The only thing in my way is the school budget, which is hard to overcome. Working in a private school has its advantages though, one of them being parents. Many parents are willing to donate to the school if they think it will help their children learn and grow. If I can convince parents, members of the community, and the school board how important technology is, I am hoping they will help find a way to get more in our school.
At the beginning of this course, I competed a checklist to assess how I integrate technology in the classroom by filling in often, sometimes, and rarely. Looking back at this checklist, I have changed the most in many of the categories for developing technology skills for the school and workplace environment. I felt hesitant to bring new ideas to my colleagues because I am a first year teacher and I was still learning new things. Now that I am more familiar with my colleagues and surroundings, and the fact that I have practiced many of the technologies I learned about, I will take more of a leadership role when it comes to integrating technology throughout the whole school.
