Integration of Available and
Appropriate Technology into Classroom Practice
I have become more skilled
and sophisticated in my use of appropriate technology in classroom
practice.
What
this piece of evidence
is...
The pieces of evidence show how technology was not
used in the past and how it is now used in my classroom. The baseline
evidence is from a lesson plan from my Baseline Portfolio and
serves as a comparison to the lessons that I create and my
instructional methods now. The lesson I created then was dictated
by the textbook
that was available in my district and does not incorporateechnology
at all. My instruction then was solely based on the textbook
provided to me, and I used no additional materials besides a worksheet
containing questions for students
to answer. My post evidence is made of snapshots of my daily use
of my SMART board, postings from my eBoard
which I have created for students and parents to use as a means of
home-school communication, and lessons in my pedagogy capstone.
The post evidence shows how I use both eBoard and SMART board on a
daily basis.
Why I chose this and how
this
illustrates I have become more skilled and sophisticated in my use of
appropriate technology in classroom practice...
I chose these pieces of evidence because I am
excited about the new technology I have
received last year and
the evolution of my eBoard to being a more useful tool for
students. In addition, the lessons in the unit plan in my
pedagogy capstone include
technology that I would not have used prior to my enrollment at the
MISE program. Though I always had an
interest in using technology,
I was not as confident as I am now in using online tools. Through
conversations with my colleagues at MISE, I learned that online
webquests and simulations are highly effective in teaching various
sciences. I have
also learned that I do not necessarily need the most current technology
in
order to teach science effectively. The forgotten
magnifying glasses, vast woods behind our school, and the world wide
web provide opportunities for students to learn. These tools are
incorporated in various lessons of the unit I developed as part of the
pedagogy capstone as shown below.
When I first began teaching, I had two desktop
computers and minimal science equipment necessary for my students to
learn
science effectively. Since then, I have acquired a SMARTboard
where I can display various simulations for students to view. As
I taught my new astronomy unit on "Cosmic
Collisions", I have
used online simulations and videos of astronomical objects to help
students to better understand our Solar System and galaxy. In
the past, I did not use the computers in my classroom as effectively as
I do now, for I developed lessons such as the baseline evidence
using textbooks as the primary source of information, but now I take
advantage of the vast resources online. On the other hand, I do
not believe that I incorporate enough technology in my daily
instruction. The uses of online resources, the eBoard, and SMART
board are very superficial uses of technology, and my knowledge of and
access to other current technologies is lacking. I believe I need
to learn more about the tools and machines that are available in order
to be able to incorporate the use more effectively. For instance,
if my district had not grant each 5th grade teacher in the district a
SMART board and some in-service on how to use it, I would not have
sought one out because I knew very little about the functions of a
SMART board. If I were presented with various demonstrations of
different technologies and tools that are available to assist in the
teaching of my curriculum, I would be ecstatic to use it! In the
meantime, my use of technological resources is limited to what I
understand. I look forward
to acquiring more knowledge and other technologies including motion
detectors and
magnifying camera units so, in time, my classroom is more fit for me to
use technology allowing me to better instruct my
21st century learners.
Baseline evidence taken from
previous implemented lesson:
Post evidence taken from my daily
SMARTboard use:
Post evidence taken
from
my daily eBoard use and postings:
Post
evidence taken from lessons of my pedagogy capstone (see highlighted
parts):
