Reflecting and Takeaways - Foundations of Educational Technology

My journey through this course was a fun yet eye-opening one. This course was so engaging and allowed me to explore various apps, websites, and online tools that I plan to try in my own classroom. While it allowed me to add to my tool belt of tech resources, it also was a space where I could reflect on how technology is already being utilized in my classroom, and where I plan to take it in the upcoming school years. It was also interesting to hear from teachers all across Chicagoland about their experiences with technology, their struggles, their gains, and how we all can keep growing in our practices.

One focus of the course that led me to go most out of my comfort zone was when we discussed our involvement with online PLNs. While I embrace the use of technology in my classroom, I never took the time to consider how I could grow my professional network and community of educators via online. I was never big on blogging, the social media platform I use most is Instagram—and I wasn’t even following other fellow educators. A goal I have for myself moving forward is to keep building my connections with educators online because I now understand how useful it is to be able to collaborate and share ideas with people that are all advocating for education in ways that I may not have thought of or tried before. Thanks to this course—and my classmates—I am now following educators on Instagram and Twitter that I probably would not have discovered on my own.

Another takeaway I have from this course is the importance of using technology as a tool with the intention of enhancing and enriching the learning environment—and not to use it as a substitution just because it is more flashy or appears more engaging. Unless it is serving a true purpose for the learning experience of the student and is an effective way to meet their goals, technology is not the end all be all. Even though our students may be one-to-one with Chromebooks, it is still okay to conduct activities or assessments with paper/pencil if it is a better option. It is crucial to provide an appropriate balance—however that may look for each teacher’s own classroom.

Our current digital age is not going to come to halt, nor does it appear to slow down. Therefore, this course has taught me the value in appreciating, accepting, and embracing the tech tools our students now have access to. It also has shown me how important it is for us teachers to be positive role models and mentors when it comes to digital citizenship and responsibility online. If we can educate our students on how to ethically, appropriately, and efficiently access technology, we will mold them into the type of students that will be prepared to navigate this tech-heavy world once they leave our classrooms.