Reflection

      As I was writing out all the subjects we covered in our "Power Tools in the Classroom" course this summer, I realized there were a lot of technological “firsts” for me: my first blog, RSS feed (feedly and Zite), infographic, ePortfolio, SMARTboard lesson, YouTube video (including editing with iMovie ’11), and (still a work in progress) a proposal for a Flat Classroom project.  In addition to those assignments, we learned about and reviewed a variety of websites, portals, open source software, MOOCs, and Apps for use in the classroom and for our professional development.  I imagine I will draw on these resources increasingly as I spend more time in the classroom; the reviews we did of these “finds” will be very helpful.  (The challenge for me will be to gather all these resources into one, easily accessible place.  Diigo or Delicious for all those links?  Evernote to replace the post-its and my spiral notebook?) This class offered an interesting balance of problem-solving (technical) tasks and thought-provoking discussions on educational technology.  Getting things to work was often stressful, although Google usually led me to someone who had had the same question and had figured out a solution. With each new approach or trend (for example, blended learning and flipped classrooms), I was challenged to reflect on the positives and negatives. In general, I feel I have a more critical view of technology than some of the authors we read (stemming from my own experiences and biases), but listening to classmates who have a more “accepting” stance—particularly those who are teaching full-time—helped me keep an open mind.

      I have experienced first-hand how many students (English Language Learners, in my case) are drawn to technology, whether it is a first-grader using an iPad App for phonics practice, or a high-school student wanting to look up words or send emails.  If the technology helps them gain independence and take responsibility for their learning--and gives them useful feedback--I am in favor of it. I am still amazed at the information that is available to anyone with a computer and internet access.  As I mentioned above, several of my projects would have been even more difficult if I had not had ready access to others struggling with the same technological questions.  Nonetheless, I feel technology should be used judiciously in the classroom, and for learning in general.  I accomplished the most in this class when I had a specific goal, and had to use technology selectively to achieve it.  Creating this blog was a combination of learning discrete skills (deciding between several blogging websites, selecting the general features for the blog, learning to imbed visuals and multimedia, subscribing to feeds from other sites), and then using this forum to discuss an observation or insight effectively.  There is no point in doing the former without putting some thought into the latter.

      My other reservations about educational technology stem partly from my preference for full-length books and long articles, and partly from my need for TIME for reflection.  Sometimes all the incoming information from this course left me feeling as if I were drowning in options.  I continue to have questions about privacy, although that, too, may be a remnant from a bygone era.  Of greater concern is how to help students filter all this information.  They should understand its source and context, and be able to evaluate it critically as they develop their own understanding and insights.  The amount of choice is enthralling; the key is to choose wisely.  
      For some final food for thought, check out the artwork of Tang Yau Hoong which I discovered on Zite. (Below is a sample.)