Final Reflection

     This course has taken me by surprise. I wasn't really that sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed the material. I have to admit that at times, I had no idea what the authors were talking about (mainly with video games), but I learned a lot! One of the biggest things I learned is by having students use blogs or "fan fiction" ish websites, they can write in a new way. Students may be able to express themselves with more confidence than they would by speaking aloud. It's exciting that technology has become such an integral part of our world- especially in education! What I've loved about having this class this semester is that it has fit in SO well with my other classes. In my Trends and Issues class, we are constantly discussing the pros and cons of technology in the classroom. This class helped me gain more insight on that issue. I've learned that video games can help students with problem-solving in real time action as opposed to simply learning about the content. But I've also learned that students need things in moderation- and that includes video games.

     I am teaching fifth grade in a title 1 school next year and because of that, the school receives incredible funding from the state. When I went to visit, there were about 4-5 iPads and MacBooks per classroom. I want to incorporate and weave technology into all that I can next year. Having the technology, I will use web 2.0 tools whenever possible. I've learned that using some of these tools (Glogster, Wordle, etc) enable students to be creative and think in entirely new ways. I am not an artistic person myself, but I always love creating new projects using technology. The world is moving into a technological state and these students need to be able to use and thrive use technology in order to experience not only academic success, but success in their careers as well. Going back to day one in this class, as Millennials, we need to show the world that we are the smartest generation yet. We need to use this technology to explore worlds that were not possible before this. However, I do not want students to lose the desire to sit down read a book or play outside. Technology should not replace these learning experiences, only enhance them!