Reflection of my learning

I must confess that I am NOT a digital native. I do however, believe that being a digital immigrant who is on a path of digital learning will help me to bridge the gap between what drives students to learn and how students are being taught.

I have always been reluctant in my integration of technology into the classroom. I have told myself that students are utilizing so many forms of technology in their out of school lives that the use of digital tools was not something that needed to be included in order for lessons to be effective. Over the past couple of years I have begun to work on changing my mindset.  Technology, like our students, are in a state of constant growth and change and if I want to continue to grow with my students I need to embrace the tools that drives their learning. It is important for my students and the teachers that I work with that they see me moving out of my comfort zone to make learning authentic and meaningful for my students.

            I am fortunate that I am in a position that allows me to guide and introduce new ideas to many of my educational peers who are taking part in out of school time learning opportunities. These teachers vary in their use and ease of technology in their classroom. This year it is my goal to integrate blogs into our program, first with the teachers then with the students. I feel that blogs are a fairly easy way to dabble in the read/write web so teachers regardless of their comfort level will be able to participate and gain a better understanding of how technology can be utilized. I intend for the teachers’ blog to accompany emails in a way to share ideas and to connect to each other thought the year. Once the teachers’ blog has been established I will create classroom based blogs using kidblog. Depending on the demographics of the classes I may create the blog groups based on grades or classes. The student blog will take the place of or accompany their journaling time. The teachers and I will monitor the blogging activities encouraging students to write ethically and using proper grammar and sentence structure.

            Another way that I would like to incorporate 21^st century skills into our program would be through the use of video conferencing. So often the students that I work with rarely get out of their own villages so much of what they know about the world is through technology. Video conferencing within a learning environment with set expectations will help students to learn how to effectively communicate and prepare for interactions outside of their small communities. I will need to work closely with the participating teachers and students to find out the most effective ways to integrate video conferencing into the small timeframe of their out of school time learning. Perhaps having the classes conference with each other on about a specific shared experience or book would be good place to start.

            Most of the students that I have the awesome privilege of working with struggle to find success in school. Because this program is not part of the traditional school day we have more flexibility so it is my hope that teachers will join me in my quest to find the venue that best speaks to each student.

            Now that I will be returning to the workforce this summer I am excited to begin implementing some of the techniques and tools that I have been introduced to. Collaborating with teachers in the field will allow me to share what I have learned in this course while giving me feedback on where I need to strengthen my knowledge. 

           I have a little over two months to figure out a game plan on how I am going to incorporate blogs and video conferencing into our program. Stay tuned to find out how it goes. As always I would love to hear your advice and words of encouragement.