Catherine Techaira
ED609
Although I had thought I knew enough technology to be able to incorporate various types of technology into the classroom, I was very much mistaken. These past two weeks in ED609 with Dr. Cyrus has shown me various forms of technology that are available to educators but are either unaware of them or have not been taught to use them. And in conveying this, I myself, fall into this category and have just recently taught middle school Special Education Math, this past school year and barely even used current technology within my lesson plans.
ED609
Although I had thought I knew enough technology to be able to incorporate various types of technology into the classroom, I was very much mistaken. These past two weeks in ED609 with Dr. Cyrus has shown me various forms of technology that are available to educators but are either unaware of them or have not been taught to use them. And in conveying this, I myself, fall into this category and have just recently taught middle school Special Education Math, this past school year and barely even used current technology within my lesson plans.
In creating my ASSURE lesson plan assignment (ASSURE Model.UNCA), I had to design it whereas the content had to include a lesson (s) that required counting (the use of numbers) that would employ the use of an electronic Excel Spreadsheet. The requirement of the spreadsheet in the lesson plan fell within the NETS*T 1 which states "Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity" (2008 International Society for Technology in Education), which I feel would really enthrall the students' curiosity and perpetuate full student engagement, in a real classroom. And in addition to the spreadsheet, I also included the requirement for the use of a graph. Of course I made certain to mention that the students were introduced, taught, and practiced in previous lessons, how to create an Excel spreadsheet and graph- with discussions on interpreting the results and what they could be used for.
As far as addressing things learned from this lesson plan assignment, I would have to say that just the introduction and the use of the ASSURE model to create the lesson plan. I had never heard of this model in any of my previous classes which I think would be greatly beneficial for teachers to use. Of course, while there are so many lesson plan formats floating around, using this particular format would ensure clarity as to the purpose of the lesson all the way down to the evaluation of the lesson. And with the use of this lesson, I genuinely think that even a substitute teacher could follow it through with ease.
In regards to the technological tools I employed for this assignment, I already mentioned the incorporation of the spreadsheet and graph earlier, which is actually the second tool I used. And for the first tool I used, it was the creation of my own website. I had to create my website before I could actually begin the work on the lesson plan. The creation of my website and the posting of my lesson plan within the site is creativity as a future teacher, which I want to further enhance. This is what NETS for teachers is all about, learning and using technology to inspire and encourage student engagement and creativity . And through the use and employment of current technology, coupled with staying abreast with newly developed and currently available technology, I will be able to translate this into meaningful and exciting lesson plans for my future students.
And as for my feelings on what I disliked about this assignment, I would have to say the limited time I had to work on the actual assignment, which was only after I had first created my website. Just the process of first selecting a website to use was time consuming in that it required time to visit each site creator, and then deciding on which one to use for this class. Creating the site was fun but at the same time a bit frustrating because although it was free for thirty days, any kind of upgrade like inserting a video or audio background required some kind of monetary transaction. So, I did the best I could and have plans to spruce it up a bit when I have a chance. The main thing was that my lesson plan was done and that I submitted my URL for the assignment. Now, for what I liked best about this assignment- the two choices we were given in submiting the assignment. Submission was either through our blog or a website, and as mentioned before, I chose the website. Learning to create a website was one thing that would have been the furthest from my mind. But I did it through following the steps which were pretty simple and self explanatory. I truly enjoyed it but as I said, I just wish I had more time to fiddle around and explore the icons.
All in all, despite my rough beginnings with this assignment, I have to admit, I have already learned many things to add to my teaching toolbox, not to mention the countless sites. And through encouragement by Dr. Cyrus "to step outside of your comfort zone" and student engagement through group participation, I am on my way to becoming more proficient in the use of technology.
References:
ASSURE Model,UNCA
2008 International Society for Technology in Education
Hi:
ReplyDeleteUse the formatting tools to make this essay easier to read, i.e., spacing between paragraphs. Otherwise, very nicely written.
-j-