Reflection

 The Final Blog

image source: erintegration.com

My views on technology in education have changed significantly since this last semester. I was very hesitant to incorporate technology within my classroom out of fear. I did not want to guide students in a direction that would not lead to learning. Since May I have taken four technology courses: Digital Literacy, Gaming in Education, Flipped Classroom, and Integrating Technology into Programming Services, and Instruction. These courses have taught and changed my relationship in the classroom with technology. 

Incorporating technology with digital citizenship and digital literacy and the tools to be successful have played a large part in redefining my role as a teacher. As I would say we are preparing students for careers that do not exist yet while navigating a lot of unknowns. What I do know is technology is here to stay and there is a safe and easy way of incorporating it into the classroom so every student is able to participate in 21st Century learning and build off 21st century skills.

I have become more open to using technology within the classroom because I learned about technology. As a millennial, it was easy to think that I just came with these skills, but as an adult learner, I was able to see how much deeper I needed to go to gain the skills and confidence to use technology within the classroom.  Since taking these courses I have incorporated more technology as I explored it. Some of my favorite blog posts reflected on my use of technology where I am and where I want to be. 

I was conflicted about taking technology classes to wrap up my master's degree because technology moves at such a rapid pace, however, I was misled. It wasn’t the technology tools themselves I was embarking on a journey with, it was more about understanding technology within the classroom.  Sure it's so cool to find tools that can apply to what you are teaching, but I lacked the foundational skills and knowledge that I needed in order to go past just using the apps. This course has taught me that technology isn’t just a 21st century skill, rather it is a life skill and I am grateful for being able to have learned how to navigate it. 

Moving forward I will be using more technology within my classroom. I will explore new things online that help boost engagement, foster a love for learning, differentiate instruction, and cater to 21st century learners. I will be more aware of content that I can present in a multi-facet way. And maybe, just maybe I will increase my online presence and boost my brand. #teachwithtech

Full disclosure: #teachwithtech does not exist because I don't have a Twitter or "X" account, I just wanted to be cool in my closing. Best of luck to all who enjoyed reading these blogs and watching me learn :)

Image source: American Institute of Research