Arriving at Understanding

And just like that, my technology journey is over…but only for now! Being a lifelong learner means constantly having an open mind to new ways of teaching, incorporating technology, and reflecting on my experiences. As this semester comes to a close, I am taking the opportunity now to reflect on my learnings and impact on my students and my peers in terms of technology integration.

(Rost, 2019)

What did you learn or “take-away” from this course and how has your perspective about integrating technology into K to 6 education changed/grown throughout the course?

One of the most significant takeaways I have had from this course is the realization that technology is a significant form of differentiation in this day and age. Being placed in a classroom with over 25% of students having severe learning needs pushed me to find new and innovative forms of differentiation that worked. During my time in the classroom, I was able to incorporate reading into RAZ Kids, which is a read aloud, read to self, and comprehension literacy app on the computer, and encouraged students who had trouble reading to be successful. Secondly, I was able to transfer my daily morning message from the whiteboard to meaningful “Chit Chats” on science that students were learning. On the whiteboard, students were challenged to sound out words and apply their “reading detective skills” to fill in the next blank. Using the SMART Board, however, allowed me to create short formative assessments of science that encouraged students to recall what they learned the day before as well as apply their knowledge beyond the concept at hand. For example, Chit Chat 3 asked students to fill in the blanks by recalling information about Reindeer feeding habits and adaptions that allowed them to get, eat, and digest food. Then, the Chit Chat required students to extend their thinking and identify animals other than reindeer that had similar adaptations such as a ruminant stomach.

Incorporating technology into the classroom seemed daunting and originally, I thought it required huge set up, yet as I worked more closely with it I realized its potential in differentiation and its ability to engage students more intimately with a concept. With that being said, I also learned the significance of planning for backup in case technology became unavailable or was not working. Instead of having a lesson interrupted by uncooperative technology, I learned to transition more smoothly to my Plan B, and in general.

How did this course help you answer your “burning” questions about the use of digital technologies in K to 6 education?

1. How can I, as an educator, balance educational technology in my classroom with the increasing prevalence of technology, educational or not, in the home? To what extent is too much technology in a child’s life?

The key to using technology in the classroom is tastefulness; technology, if over used, will not always be as effective as you want it to be. Besides, 98% of the time in the classroom I was placed in, it seemed technology was unavailable (the iPads were taken for two and a half weeks to be updated) or was out of date and froze almost immediately (using the SMART Board for lessons). From what I have taken away from this course and my time in the classroom is that technology use at home can be encouraged in a positive way. For example, when RAZ Kids was introduced students were given two login codes, one for home and one for school. At home, students were encouraged to read and comprehend as many books as they liked that corresponded to the reading level they were at. However, although RAZ Kids was supposed to have a positive impact on motivation to read with level-up rewards and skill development, little to no restriction was in place at home and some students spent entire weekends on technology reading. Even if students had the right intention of learning to read and reading as much as they could, there still needs to be reinforcement at home that technology cannot be used for essentially 48 hours straight; high amounts of screen time alone may impact child development.

2. How can Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and/or Mixed Reality, and their corresponding handheld devices or headsets, be incorporated into a Grade One classroom and Grade One curriculum? How can I differentiate for VR, AR, and/or MR in a high learning needs classroom?

VR, AR, and MR are amazing technologies that give new meaning to experiential learning. However, as much as I would have liked to incorporate it into one or more of my lessons I found there was not enough time in a day, week, practicum or, sometimes, even a school year to provide every opportunity I wanted for students. As a teacher, it is essential to pick and choose meaningful experiences for students that are not only ‘neat’ but have an impact on student learning. Thus, when I was teaching I had to make sometimes difficult decisions on whether I could give students opportunities to experiment with technology like VR, AR, and MR or if I needed to provide reinforcement lessons that could not be conveyed through such technology. With that being said, technology in its other forms such as SMART Boards, iPads, and laptops allowed me to instruct lessons using several different mediums, such as artistically, kinaesthetically, orally, and technologically, in order to get the concept across to each and every student. If I were at my practicum for say a month longer, I believe I would be able to provide enough reinforcement for students to have the opportunity to learn through neat experiences such as VR, AR, and MR. Being in a Grade One classroom, and with a group of students who were mostly below grade level, was also a major holdback in terms of introducing these technologies in the classroom and why I would not incorporate them until concepts were deeply learned in other forms; knowing my learners and their abilities was very significant in my judgement to not use these technologies. For older grades, however, I would consider using VR, AR, and MR as hooks into units or bringing experts to the classroom in terms of inviting students on virtual field trips to learn through discovery.

How did you contribute to the learning of others? 

            
           Teaching is an incredibly collaborative practice; being a teacher does not mean dominating a room or thinking “my way or the highway”. Instead, it is important to think of teaching as a team. Sharing thoughts and actively participating in discussions allowed me to respectfully share contribute my ideas from my experiences to help develop my colleagues’ teaching practices. As well, being respectful of others’ ideas, encouraging collaboration, and functioning as part of a team when required to team-teach allowed me to model positive teaching skills and support the sharing of others’ ideas that would potentially add to each of our teaching practices. As teaching is being part of a team, sharing resources such as tips and tricks, lesson plans, and materials aids in the success of colleagues and their learning from you. Lastly, listening to others’ thoughts, ideas, and resources allowed me to realize that my teaching practice is far from developed; I need to be open to new ways of knowing and be flexible in my own approach in order to help students succeed in the classroom as well.

What did you learn from others?

Teaching is twofold; when you teach you learn as well. From this notion also comes the importance of reflecting upon lesson impact on students but impact on you as teacher; grow from your mistakes and maintain your strengths. Thus, as I taught my peers prior to teaching in practicum I was able to sit back and watch how others began the lesson planning process, interacted with students, their tone of voice, and transitions. By being a member and collaborator in the team-teaching process I was able to be flexible in my teaching practices, add skills to my repertoire and realize my way is not always the best way. As well, my critical friends this semester were huge in positively supporting my strengths and weaknesses and providing feedback from their own experiences that allowed me to grow as a teacher and learner. At my practicum, I also learned a significant amount from my students through during and post lesson reflections. From students’ attitudes toward concepts, self-assessments, and impact of lessons on them I was able to better determine what went well, what did not, and what concepts still need reinforcement. By knowing my students well and listening to their explicit and implicit feedback, I was able to develop my teaching practice, particularly in terms of planning, assessment, and differentiation, to a degree I did not think was possible.