Looking back over the past eight weeks, I am amazed with the wealth of information I have gained. This class has me excited about using technology in a meaningful way with my high school Geometry and Algebra II students. Through the applications for this course I have created a unit plan on quadratic equations that has me anxious to implement. Having my students use digital story-telling in this unit will help me reach one of my goals; “facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative process”.
One of the fears I have with incorporating technology into my classroom is that I am not a digital native. I went to school long before computers. Every new tool I use takes a long time to learn. I was relieved to hear Dr Abrams say, “Don’t let the technological aspects get in your way. Give it to the students and let them run with it” (Laureate, 2009). I have to let the student teach me the technology as I teach the math standards. After all teenagers are much more tech savvy than a veteran teacher of twenty one years.
I have been encouraged by classmates to let go with my traditional idea of order in the classroom. They have reassured me that in all of the chaos and confusion during cooperative and project based activities there is a lot of engaging and meaningful learning taking place. This week I did my first math lab with my Geometry class. Although the custodians may not have been happy with all of the popcorn that was spilled on the floor, I was pleased to hear very thoughtful discussions taking place amongst my students. Maybe this old dog can learn some new tricks.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Spotlight on Technology: Digital Storytelling, Part 2. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.
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