The End

A Reflection...

This entire journal has been a reflection of this class, and it feels strange to sum up that experience in this single entry. I suppose it simply feels strange to be done. I commented to a classmate the other night that the material for this class hasn't been hard. It's just been a lot of material in a short period of time. That appeals to me. I'd rather just take the bull by the horns and plow through. But I am afraid that I will forget bits of what I've learned, and for that reason, I dislike the paperless aspect of this course. I wish I had a printed out version of our handbook. Of course, I can find everything we did on the internet. I suppose I'm just saying I wish I had the safety net of a workbook as I go back into my classroom this year!

Educational Technology -- What I learned
What I learned most, I learned because I was forced to do things differently than I currently do. I already use technology extensively in my classroom. But, for example, I don't ever use graphics on my handouts. Why not? Well, my glib answer to this would have been, because I teach high school and they don't need or want graphics! But is that true? I taught several artistically motivated students this year. One of them designed a postage stamp for the US Postal Service at age 13! I teach in an arts magnet. What would it hurt to add some graphics? Maybe it would break the monotony of the words. Maybe my students would feel more comfortable. Maybe they would find the words more accessible.

I also learned new software in this class. I had never made a podcast before. I had never used Moviemaker before. I'm very proud to have used both of those successfully! I'm not sure, though, that I'll use them in my classes. I just can't see a practical use in an English class. I can imagine creating a weekly podcast for parents to put on our class website... Maybe I'll think more about doing that. But the sad fact is that only maybe 5% of my parents have routine internet access. I do, however, have renewed respect for the students who have used Moviemaker for their class projects!

Mostly, I learned that we have a long way to go. Why don't I have a classroom computer like the one in the UAH lab? Why don't we have better access to computer lab time at school? I know the answers. I know we don't have funding. I know that we want it all -- a reasonable salary structure, small classes, technology in our classrooms... But it is frustrating to see what we CAN do but have the tools to accomplish. I'll be going back to a Windows 98 doorstop in my classroom.

Obstacles to Overcome
I've already ranted about the lack of available technology in my school. We are building a new school, though, and perhaps with the new school, we'll get the new technology we need. In the mean time, I will continue carrying in my personal laptop and my personal projector. I'm very lucky to have access to both.

I would love to implement a better website for my class. I'd love to improve on our school's website, but the fact is, there just aren't enough hours in the day. This year, I will have four preps. Four. I'll have one planning period. I'm not complaining. I'm pleased with my schedule. But creating lesson plans for four separate courses will keep me from being able to spend a lot of time designing creative uses for technology. I'm excited to learn about Webquests. At the risk of sounding lazy, I located several usable Webquests during this course. I can absolutely see integrating those into my curriculum. The real obstacle? Finding time to create movies and podcasts and even to find the materials for truly great Powerpoints.

As with most obstacles we teachers face, we have to figure out what will give us the most impact and foster the most conducive learning environment. I am determined to use the internet more extensively this year. I believe that students enjoy finding information on their own, and I believe that can make it more valuable to them. I plan on using Wikis this year in my advanced classes. I will have to overcome the obstacle presented by the fact that not all my students have computers at home. Most of my advanced students will. But I will have to figure a way to guarantee access.

Personal Improvement
My biggest accomplishment during this course was creating and publishing a website. I have blogged for a couple of years, but I haven't really designed or built a website on my own. I don't consider good at it. But I am now competent. I now have the skills and the ability to create a site. I didn't have that ability before!