Teaching with Technology:
Web Conference Week 1 Reflection:
I always enjoy attending the web conferences. They are informative and give me the information that is needed to complete the weekly assignments. The conferences also allow me the knowledge needed to complete other assignments as well. This web conference we disscussed making our groups for the project that we are required to complete throughout this course. Our group was able to gain another group member, which we were grateful to have join us. We were still able to continue with all but one members of our group from our last class and that member does not have this class with us. We also were able to discuss the issues that everyone has been having with the blackboard program. The disscussion board was not working for some reason, so we are not being required to complete the discussion in Week 1. Some people have also had difficulty submitting assignments. All in all the conference was of great benefit to my weekly assignment.
Assignment Week 1 Part 1:
I totally agree with the statement in “Learning as a Personal Event”, (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html) “Every learner has experiences that influence his or her understanding of the world. Those unique experiences are the foundation for learning; they provide opportunities for personal connections with new content.” All learners contribute to their own education as well as the education of others in many ways. Students as well as educators learn throughout their education careers through each other. Educators can learn just as the students.
Because many new technologies are interactive (Greenfield and Cocking, 1996), it is now easier to create environments in which students can learn by doing, receive feedback, and continually refine their understanding and build new knowledge (Barron et al., 1998; Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1993; Hmelo and Williams, 1998; Kafai, 1995; Schwartz et al., 1999). (Citation: Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded edition). Ch. 9, pp. 194-218. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9853&page=206). Teachers set the pace of the education that is going to be exposed to the students in the classroom as well as all over the campus. Educators even make impressions on students when they see them outside of the campus. All of which can be an educational experience. When using technology most educators are technical immigrants, while students are natives. The use of technology in the classroom will only enhance the educational value of the students and their experiences will grow. The students not only will be able to learn what is in the area around them but they will have access to the whole wide world in which they live. I think that this is an important value of technology being in the schools today.
My Background:
I am from Vidor, Texas and I work in the Vidor Independent School District. I am currently at Vidor High School Campus in the PACE lab, which is credit recovery. I have been in this position for approx. 1 year. In the past I taught in Life Skills at one of the Elementary Campuses. I have been working in the Special Education Department for 8 years. My technology experience is slim. I have learned it mostly on my own with a few classes that I took while working towards my bachelar degree. I received my associates degree in Child Care and Development from Lamar Technology in 1991. I received my bachelar degree in Applied Arts and Sciences from Lamar University in 2008. I went through Texas Teachers to complete my teaching certification. I am now currently attending Lamar University to receive my Masters Degree in Educational Technology Leadership.
