My Take-Away from Current and Emerging Technologies - EDUC 2325

What did you learn or “take-away” from this course and how has your perspective about integrating technology into K to 6 education changed/grown throughout the course?

            The Current and Emerging Technologies course taught me the ways in which digital technologies can be integrated into classrooms by challenging me to ask critical questions about the affects of technology on learning, and by asking me to work with these different technologies myself.

            At the beginning of the course I was unsure about the use of technology in primary education. However, I have decided that I support the use of technology in K to 6 education. My perspective has grown with the help of my field placement observations, the exposure I’ve had to use technologies in my courses (i.e. blogs, YouTube videos, Google Applications, Microsoft Office, and other online resources), the survey I conducted in relation to my research topic, the interview help between myself and an expert in the field, collaboration with my professional learning community, as well as the actual research I conducted through the Library Database.

How did this course help you answer your “burning” question about the use of digital technologies in K to 6 education?

            This course offered me the time and resources that I needed in order to answer my burning question, “Can technology support student creativity in primary education?”. Over the course of 10 weeks I was able to conduct research while at the same time experiment with different technologies for a variety of assignments. For example, the digital story assignment challenged teacher candidates to work with a technology to create an animated story. This assignment allowed me to work with whatever application I desired, allowing me to learn the different ways that I can be creative to express my knowledge. This, along with other assignments completed in this course, taught me how to use different technologies while also challenging my creative abilities.

How did you contribute to the learning of others? What did you learn from others?

            I contributed to the learning of others by collaborating with my professional learning community weekly. During these interactions with my peers, I shared new information that I gathered on my research topic, I allowed them to share their new knowledge, and we shared our assignments and work. When we shared our assignments, using Google Docs, Sites, and Slides, I provided my peers with comments and peer assessments. This was valuable because it got myself and the other teacher candidates into the habit of providing consistent and constructive feedback.

            Others contributed to my learning in the same ways. By providing me with constructive feedback and peer assessments I was challenged to see different perspectives, improve my work, and dig deeper into my questions surrounding technology in primary education.