As our course on Reaching and Engaging ALL Learners Through Technology draws to a conclusion, I find myself pleased with how renewed and revitalized I feel with how I integrate technology on a regular basis. I am even more satisfied with how well I use technology to differentiate my lessons so that I can strive to reach and engage all of my students no matter what level of English or reading they may be as well as taking in account for their learning styles and preferences.
As a teacher in a one-to-one laptop rich environment, I sometimes take my access and options of technology for granted. I had not stopped and thought much about “what if I did not have technology so fully integrated?”. But during this course, I not only had the opportunity to explore that thought but also happened to have two occurrences where our school’s intranet server and wireless ports failed. It was a challenge mental and academically to revert to the “old fashion style of teaching” for even those two – three day occurrences. In some ways it was good for me as a teacher to stop and reflect while in other ways it was a great experience for the kids to find a renewed appreciation of laptops.
During this course, I also have some time to refocus some of my lesson plans on using more UDL methods and DI guidelines as I did when I first started teaching. As I wrap up my 5th year of teaching and my 3rd year in a one-to-one laptop environment it was good to take a course that do directly focused on the essentials and structure of UDL and DI. I think over time, we a teachers get into our own system or routines. Through this course, I was able to dust off my “planning” brain and refresh my lesson plans.
I did not make any specific changes to my current lessons plans during this course, though I did recreate or create from scratch some newer technology UDL lessons on energy and circuits during this course. The only immediate change I feel I made during this course to my “instructional method” or “teaching style”, was that I introduced a new “quarter-way” and “three-quarter way” checks with my longer (4 & 5 week unit) to ensure that my ELL and IEP students were not lost early on or after the mid-way check I traditionally did. I used our technology options of “student surveys” and “choice menus” to gage not only their understanding but their interest in the topics thus far.
As this semester wraps up and I enter my last semester with Walden’s before graduating, I find myself very pleased with how enjoyable, engaging and relevant this Master’s degree program has been for me. My two prior programs, one with PLU in education and the Science focus with Waldens, were not engaging my educational focus or direction nor were challenging me intellectually. I am eager to continue with these last two classes and enthralled with what more technology wise I might be exposed to in our next course. From there it will be onward towards my doctorate degree with Walden’s as I move into my second educational love, leadership. Together with the expansive exposure to educational technology options and my doctoral studies in teacher leadership, I am two steps closer to my career goal.
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