Our world is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made many educators realize that it is integral to support learning. This semester, I had the opportunity to take a class focused on digital supports for educators and students. At first, I was very nervous about taking the course. I have never described myself as being a tech-savvy person, so I was unsure how I was going to navigate a class focused on technology. I entered the class believing that technology should only be used for assessment, for I could not see ways that it could support higher-level learning. However, my views quickly changed after I started learning about all of the different ways that learning can be supported with technology.
Ed-tech has taught me a number of invaluable digital skills that I will use for the rest of my teaching career. One of the most valuable tools I learned was how to construct worksheets using Microsoft Word. I never knew how to use the ruler, construct tables, manipulate margins, or change the page orientation before taking this course. I now feel confident that I can design worksheets that are polished, professional, and effective. I am also able to add images, icons, and colour to make these worksheets more engaging for my students. The tools that I have learned in Microsoft Word will allow me to design worksheets that challenge students to use higher-level thinking and reasoning skills.
Another invaluable digital skill that I have gained from this course is the ability to create Google Forms. Google Forms is just one of the many tools that Google offers to support and assess learning, but I had never heard of it prior to taking this course. I did not realize how easy it is to construct a Google Form! I can see myself regularly using these forms for both formative and summative assessments in my future teaching practice. These forms make it easy to design a variety of questions that assess the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.
It is important that I continue to integrate technology into my classrooms in the future because children are surrounded by technology every day. Their free time is spent networking with their peers on social media, or they are playing the latest and greatest game. Students love technology, so I want to show them that it can be used as a fun and powerful tool for learning.
I want my students to be excited to learn, and technology is one way that I can cater to their interests. In the future, I plan to continuously implement technology-based learning opportunities in my classroom wherever possible. These activities will encourage student engagement, and using these tools will also help them become digitally literate citizens.
This course has allowed me to grow significantly as a future educator. It has taught me the value of using digital tools to support teaching and learning in the classroom. Flipgrid, Coggle, and iMovie are just a few of tools that I plan to use to support collaborative learning in my classroom. I am also going to utilize Edpuzzle and Socrative to support my teaching. Overall, I feel confident that I can construct lessons that seamlessly blend digital tools with learning after taking this course.
Attribute: Laptop Image from Unsplash (Kari Shea)
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