Final Reflection - Instructor Derby

As this class draws to an end, I reflect on all the ways we have discussed influencing our colleagues to make a change more towards using technology in their class. I also reflect on the learning activity and implementation plans I have developed regarding integrating more technology into my classroom. I set up an on-line classroom using Moodle. This particular use of technology allows teachers to incorporate a lot of different technologies and put them on a page for easy access and use. Moodle also allows for class discussions, on-line quizzes or tests, class blogs and wiki’s and much more. The main idea I took from this class was to use technology that was fun and interesting, but at the same time very easy to use and access. Using Moodle is definitely a technology that my students have never used before and it definitely helps to prepare them for their lives beyond high school because on-line education is only going to get more popular due to busy schedules.

Immediate adjustments I plan on making to identify emerging technologies with the potential to transform teaching and learning is to keep sharing what I have learned about with my colleagues. I also plan on incorporating more of what we have learned about by using Moodle. Blogs and Wiki’s can be great resources and Moodle allows the use of those technologies without overloading students with numerous sites to join and passwords to keep track of.

Week 4 Application Presentation

http://voicethread.com/share/1025599/

DI and UDL Reflection

As a result of this course, I have found that integrating technology to differentiate instruction is really not as difficult as one may have thought. There are so many resources available through the internet that differentiation usually happens naturally. The resources my classmates and I have found provide numerous opportunities for me to help all of my students understand a concept. These resources will also help me determine how my students learn best, their likes and their dislikes. Integrating the resources into my instruction will allow my students to have choices and guide their own learning.

The adjustments I have made to my instructional practice regarding the use of technology include using my Smart board. Smart has incorporated Smart Response Controllers that allow students to use the controllers to answer questions and the teacher gets immediate results. This allows me to move more quickly or slow down and re-teach a concept. I also use on-line surveys at the beginning of each year to determine how my students learn best. Another adjustment I have made is allowing my students to have a choice in how they learn. Some like guided notes, some like writing the notes out in their notebooks, others like just listening to me explain how to work out a problem.