Week 6 Reading Responses

I chose a few of the big shifts

Big Shift 1: Open Content

I like the idea of open content as opposed to more “closed” textbook based learning. Richardson (2010) talks about teachers and students using the Internet to create their own textbooks (p. 148). I think this would be great strategy to integrate into my classroom. This activity would build students researching and collaboration skills.

Big Shift 2: Many, Many Teachers and 24/7 Learning

I have found that teachers often share ideas and materials that work in the same school together. Collaboration with other teachers is a great way to find new and creative tools to use in the classroom (Richardson, 2010, p. 150). The idea of there being hundreds of teachers on the Internet to share ideas with is very exciting. I think all teachers should take advantage of the opportunity to share ideas with other instructors to help improve their instruction. I think that teachers can learn a lot by sharing ideas and I will definitely take advantage of this when I become a teacher.

Big Shift 3: The Social, Collaborative Construction of Meaningful Knowledge

I think it is very beneficial to have students share their completed work with a bigger audience then the teacher or classmates. This will make the work more meaningful for them. I could definitely use this in my future classroom. My students could share their work on a classroom website or a blog.

Big Shift 4: Teaching Is Conversation, Not Lecture

Richardson (2010) explains how having students publish their work can be empowering to students because it allows them to see that their ideas matter (p. 151). I agree that it is important to get students active in their own learning in order to motivate them. I think this will be one of the hardest parts of the big shift. I will need to find tasks that keep students engaged and places they can publish their work where they will receive positive feedback.

Big Shift 10: Contribution, Not Completion, As the Ultimate Goal

Richardson (2010) explains how using the Internet to share student work gives them more of a sense of purpose in what they do (p. 153). Rather then just finishing their work and handing it students are able to contribute what they have done to a larger audience. I think that this is a great way to motivate students.

Overall, I feel that the big shift is a great way to actively engage students in their learning. I think that it will be a lot of work for teachers to find ways to balance the new shifts with the academic curriculum, but it is worth the time.

Richardson, Will. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Final Technology Integration Project

Ms. Butler's Classroom Wiki

• Do you plan on using your classroom blog/wiki in your future classroom? If so, what types of modifications do you envision? Please explain.

I could use a wiki in my future classroom. I feel that it would be difficult for some students to edit the wiki, but could be helpful for parents. I would use my students as my target audience for a classroom wiki. It would be a useful tool to help keep them informed about what their students are doing on a daily basis.

• Do you plan on having your students create their own blogs/wikis in your future classroom? If so, please explain.

As a special education teacher, I do not plan on having my students create their own wikis in my future classroom. I think that it would be to difficult and time consuming for my students.

• Discussion of how your view of instructional technology has or has not changed over the semester.

I have learned how important it is to incorporate technology into the classroom. I have learned new ways to use technology with my students and how it can be used to collaborate with others outside of the classroom.

• Discuss the quality and appropriateness of what you have learned and created this semester.

I think that there was a lot of information in a ver short period of time. I would have like to spend a little more time on ways to use the smart board in the classroom or learning about assistive technology.

• Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology

I am more comfortable with using my MacBook and the programs it has.

Video Editing Project Reflection

• What would you do differently if you could do it all over again? Are these changes based on feedback that you may have received from friends, peers, family members, etc?

The only thing I would have done differently if I did it all over again would be to have more time to add to it. I would like to add some more video effects and another voice over to the video, but I did not have enough time to do so.

• What is your reaction to the video recording/editing process? Please discuss any positive and negative reactions.

I had a lot of fun with this project. This is my first time recording and editing a video. I have never used imovie before. I found the program to be very easy to navigate and I would use it again.

• Do you think it would be possible to have students in your current/future classroom create a movie? Do you (will you) have the resources, time, and skills necessary to include such a project in your classroom? Please explain.

I would definitely have my students create a movie in class. I think that it might be difficult for them to edit the video, so I would probably have to do most of the editing.

• Did you learn anything new from the video editing/recording process? Please explain.

The entire process was new for me. This was the first time that I have ever used a flip camera or imovie. I feel confident in using the program and feel like I will utilize it in the future.