Lesson 1 - Applying Technology in the Classroom

Reflecting upon my assigned readings for Lesson 1, I have learned many valuable lessons regarding technology in which I can apply to my own classroom setting.  Foremost, applying the National Educational Technology Standards for teachers and students to the classroom environment is extremely vital.  As a computer lab instructor in an elementary school, I was not aware of such standards until this course.  I have applied the majority of these standards in my classroom and definitely plan to continue covering and reviewing them.  In order to be an effective teacher, I must meet the criteria of all the NETS-T.  One instance in which I have implemented the NETS-T is through promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility.  Within the first week of my hire date, I covered the topic of digital citizenship and responsibility.  In a nutshell, I taught this material with the visual aid of a powerpoint presentation.  Once I completed the presentation, the students (K-6) made a pledge to maintain good digital citizenship and signed a contract.  We review this issue frequently and will continue to do so.  In a society where the majority of people have some kind of digital access that consists of cyber bullying, high digital commerce, internet hacking, etc. I feel it’s very significant for students to fully comprehend how to have excellent digital citizenship.

Another component of Lesson 1 that I learned this week is how to utilize web-based programs such as blogs, podcasts, wikis, and/or other productivity software.  This is a part of the technology competency guidelines.  I have read a few wikis in the past, such as www.wikipedia.com, but I have never actually developed one myself.  After creating my own blog as a requirement for this course, I have found it to be interesting and rather simple.  I definitely intend on utilizing a blog in my own classroom.  Once I complete my school’s web page, I will create a blog and assign students to update it periodically on various topics.  I will add the URL to the blog on the school’s webpage so that parents and other viewers of the site can see what the students in the computer lab are learning.  I will have them write about a particular research topic and have them all contribute at some point.  One challenge that I anticipate facing when using this in my own classroom is the fact that some of the students may not be aware of what a blog is.  In order to overcome this particular challenge, I can explain what a blog is and provide them with tutorials that are available online.  I will show these tutorials on the SMART Board so that all the students will be capable of watching the tutorial simultaneously and can ask questions when needed.