Précis of my Flight Path
I love teaching with technology. It is my hope to effectively infuse lessons with appropriate digital technologies at the utmost level since I believe that teaching with technology deepens learning. In this digital age, the role of educators is changing from being a disseminator of information to a facilitator or moderator which dictates that the way we teach must be adjusted. As such, as an educator, I strive for constant improvement and ongoing professional development which will prepare me to effectively cater to the needs of today’s digital age learners who demand excellent, inspired, interactive teaching (Ashraf, 2009).
The ETEC 565 course certainly did not disappoint me. It has unquestionably expanded my repertoire in learning technologies since I am now in a better position to effectively integrate digital technologies (including synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, collaboration tools, multimedia, and social software tools) into my teaching and learning environments. What I already knew about technology integration coupled with the knowledge and skills I gain in this course will definitely help me to create communities in which people come together to collaborate, learn and build knowledge which is one of my main goals for this course.
Reflection on eLearning toolkit experience
The eLearning toolkit experience was worthwhile. The activities were comprehensive, practical and interactive. I was not able to work through all the tools as intended due to time constraint, however, I was amazed to learn about the many technologies that offer powerful new opportunities to enhance student learning. I benefitted greatly from the learning management system toolkit as it helped me to design learning platforms using MOODLE since it is my intention to use this tool to complement my face-to-face sessions, extend my classroom time and provide opportunities for students to interact, contribute ideas and collaborate.
I also enjoyed working the synchronous tool communication toolkit. I am elated to learn about tools such as iChat, Wimba and Moodle’s built-in chat tool as these will put me in a position to establish a strong sense of community between myself and students. This should lead to students’ greater satisfaction with their learning experiences and reduced feelings of isolation and segregation.
The ETEC565 experience
I find the ETEC565 course to be very labour intensive, but it was worth the journey. This course has surpassed my expectation. I have learnt so much from this course. I now feel “revved up” and ready to start integrating the digital technologies I have learned about in this course into my own teaching and learning environments.
I particularly like the constructivist mode of this course. I was consistently actively engaged with authentic, challenging and real-world situations that forced me to explore things on my own. The process helped me to develop a deeper understanding of the content and greatly intensified my enthusiasm and motivation towards the subject.
I was impressed with the manner in which the course assignments were submitted (through a wordpress blog). This was very “neat”, innovative, creative and effective. It was the first I have seen a blog used this way. I will definitely be using this method with my students.
What next ……
Inline with the vision of the ISTE/NETS (2008) which advocate the use of technology in education, I intend to provide students with opportunities to engage in technology supported activities that will enrich their learning experiences. As such, I will to infuse lessons with much of the digital technologies I have learnt about in this course which will enable students to
- Demonstrate creativity and innovation
- Communicate and collaborate
- Conduct research and use information
- Think critically, solve problems, and make decisions
- Use technology effectively and productively (ISTE/NETS, 2008)
I also intend to become a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). This move will provide me with opportunities to improve teaching and learning through the effective use of technology in education. It will also help me as an educator to connect with peers, to gather in a variety of forums to share the challenges and excitement of teaching, and to be part of a community that leads the transformation of education (NETS, 2008).
Reference
Ashraf, B. (2009). Teaching the Google-eyed YouTube generation. Education and Training. Vol. 51 No. 5/6, 2009, pp. 343-352, doi 10.1108/00400910910987165. Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0040-0912
National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx