Reflecting on the semester

I learned a great deal this semester in my Technology courses.

I had the opportunity to try out several technology tools that I was unfamiliar with, including Blogger, VoiceThread, MovieMaker, and GoogleDocs. This is why I decided to pursue this degree; I wanted to be exposed to new innovative technologies that I could implement in my classroom. I am excited about the variety of ways these programs can be used with students to serve a variety of purposes in virtually every subject area and grade level.

I also learned a great deal from my peers in my coursework this semester. Through online discussion and viewing my colleagues' projects, I was able to see how different programs can be used to meet the ever changing demands placed on us as teachers. Online interactions provided us with the "anonymity" that would allow us to speak more freely than we might have in person.

I think I speak for everyone in my courses when I say that we learned a lot from doing by actually using the programs and from interacting with each other and hearing how technology is integrated by our peers.

PBL and GoogleDocs

I recently had my first experience using GoogleDocs and making a PBL proposal for an entire school. My group and I made a proposal to improve reading scores at my school. It was great to have a group of people to work with on this project. I learn a lot from others' perspectives and insights about how a project should be carried out and about the expectations of a project. I am glad I was able to use GoogleDocs. I like the program, although I do not yet feel completely confident in my ability to use it effectively. I think with older students, this program would be an excellent tool to use. I would have liked to have used it in high school or college to work on papers and other group assignments.

MovieMaker

I recently had my first experience with MovieMaker. I have used the comparable Apple program, iMovie, several years ago during my Master's degree program, and I must say that this MovieMaker program pales in comparison. iMovie is exponentially more user-friendly and easy to navigate and use. It took me a very long time to create my movie; I can't imagine how long it would take for my students to learn and use the program. I do think they could benefit from being involved in the Movie making process, perhaps by being recorded or creating slides, however, I am not so sure that they could make an entire movie independently in a very efficient manner. I would love to be proven wrong though, so if you have used this program successfully with elementary school students, please post!