By Robert Breedlove
Specifically in my teaching there are several skills I would like to improve on and master. Like anything else it takes time and trial and error to find your way. One of those skills is Google Classroom. Google Classroom offers a chance for educators to communicate with their students using Google Documents, Sheets and Presentations. This is a great tool and the more I use it the more features I find very useful.
Another area I would like to master is using iPads and other technology hardware effectively in my classroom. At the moment we have iPads in our rooms one time per week for about an hour. Right now I have my students completing “Data Trackers” to keep tabs on their assignments and see their progress in class. Beyond that I usually have the students work on math practice with Moby Max or Sum Dog. I would like my students to be more creative with some projects using iMovie or another movie editing software or to teach students code or give them an opportunity to do some research and see that some areas of the internet are not as reliable as others.
Common Sense Media
When choosing my Master’s program I wanted to pick something that is very interesting and fresh. Technology is the best of both worlds. You get out of technology what you put into it. If you want to take that next step in a direction technology is there to support you. Technology is always changing and never stale. It evolves from year to year and sometimes more quickly.
I am very excited about my future learning. Even though I am finishing up my graduate course at Michigan State I know that I will continue to push myself to learn new exciting things along the way. One of the reasons I majored in Elementary Education in my undergrad is my love of learning. I love to learn new things. I typically get hooked on a topic and spend hours researching and reading as much as I can on it. I get really into what I am learning. There are always areas for anyone to learn and improve in their profession.
Google Classroom
There are many resources available to my building and district that I would like to take advantage of in the near future. One of them is using grants to fund educational opportunities for my students. Schools are constantly struggling with the fund balance and anything we can do, as educators to help lighten that load is helpful. I am currently in the process of writing grants to get Discovery Education science resources in the hands of elementary students and get my classroom a set of netbooks to integrate Google into the classroom.
One resource that I have not used as much of as I intitially thought I would is Common Sense Media. There are several pages of lesson plans ready to help students use technology effectively and more important safely. There are videos, worksheets and several lessons specially geared toward Digital Citizenship. This is something I am looking forward to getting my students on the path to. Every student needs guidance in using technology in a smart, effective and safe manner.
Although my time as a graduate student is coming to a close, I know that the adventure in educational technology is just beginning. I have so many avenues I would like to pursue it is going to be difficult picking just a few to focus on. Just like life I think this is not about the destination but the journey that will take me there.
Photo Credit:
MAET Overseas Logo - http://edutech.msu.edu/programs/masters/
Common Sense Media - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators
Google Classroom - https://classroom.google.com