Edtech Reflection

Reflection for Educational Technology 1
Upon reflecting on the Educational Technology course for the pass semester, I have noted
that it was a practical course. Now, many have theorized that embedding learning within activity
is one of the most effective ways to ensure that students are learning. One such theory is Jean
Laves theory of situated cognition which states that learning is grounded in the actions of
everyday situations and knowledge is acquired situationally (Lave, 1989).
At the beginning of the course when we were introduced to the idea of blended learning,
which involves both online and in class learning, my colleagues and I were very intrigued, as this
term was fairly new to us. Our first task was to create a voki to introduce ourselves and then we
were asked to evaluate an article on integrating technology in Education, additionally we were
asked to answer the related question that were posted online. Throughout the course I was really
amazed at the variety of both the computer based and the web based tools that were available to
teachers and students that may be used to enhance meaningful learning even in the Mathematics
classroom. The lecturer for the course did a very good job of keeping to The International
Society for technology in Education (ISTE) and the National Educational Technology (NET)
Standard for Teachers. This is so as she used her knowledge of the different tools that we were
required to use to enhance teaching and learning, she used technology to facilitate experiences
that advanced our understanding, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual
environments (ISTE ,2014). She communicated the relevant information and ideas to us
effectively by using a variety of digital age media and formats, for example Schoology. In
addition to this she promoted and modelled responsible digital citizenship, as she demonstrated
and taught safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for
copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

According to Prenskys definition of Digital Natives I classified myself as such; however
after I was introduced to the variety of digital tools that were available yet still unexplored, I
began to have second thoughts. Some of the tools that I was introduced to were: the interactive
PowerPoint including the hyperlink feature, creating wordle pictures, the computer voice
recorder, Windows Movie maker, as well as some web 2.0 tools such as voki all in keeping with
the ISTE NET standards for students. This states that students should demonstrate creative
thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
We were also guided in creating various useful online accounts such as Podomatic, wikispaces
Zunal webquest, and weebly on which we are able to post lessons, assignments and also give
feedback to our students. Even though using the Windows Movie Maker was a real challenge for
me I was able to create one with the help of my colleagues. I have grown significantly as a result
of the content of this course. I learnt among many other things that with the use of technology
comes the responsibility of using it in an ethical manner which means that we should avoid using
our knowledge to commit cybercrimes such as scamming, hacking and cyberbullying.
The course has also introduced new ideas and skills in planning my lessons
effectively by using the Addie model, Assure model and the ISTE NET standards as guides to
plan creative lessons which allow the engagement of my students in exploring real-world issues
and solving problems. These methods has helped me as well as my colleagues to engage in
critical thinking. Technology Application has taught me how to enhance my teaching and
learning environment by using technology to facilitate various subject areas and cater for
learners at different cognitive levels and learners of different learning styles.

In the course we were not only given the relevant information online but we were also
given links, assignments and the feedback online this was an effective method as it saves both
the students and the facilitator the time that was required for face to face interactions.
Even though many of these tools are user friendly and classroom worthy there is still the
issue of equitable access as many of our Jamaican schools do not have the resources to facilitate
technology integration. Evidence of this was observed when I was doing my practicum, my
partner and I used a voki to give instructions for a task however, we had to endure a lot of
problems as we had to take our own internet connections. Not everything went well in the
course; there were times when there were glitches with the speed and efficiency of the internet.
There were even times when my classmates and I had no access to the computers in the lab to
complete our assignments as they are very limited compared to the number of students. There
were also times of frustration during the class as the slow internet prevented me from following
the lecturer. Consequently I recommend that the classes be a little less crowded as this provides
the opportunity for more scaffolding and I also recommend that the facilitator for the course set a
designated time in which he or she would be online each week to assist students who may have
queries and misconceptions. This recommendation is in accordance with the ISTE NET standard
for teachers which states that teachers collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community
members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
As a result of the course content, I have revised the way that I saw the mathematics classroom in
the future as I now I have an understanding of how to manipulate and create tools to facilitate a
high level of interaction and an activities oriented classroom. This will allow me to be more
confident and professional in my approach to the students learning needs and the management
of my class.

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Reflection for Educational Technology 1

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