Where It All Began
Laura Rinehart
It all began with a Prezi. On September 30, 2012, the Prezi I submitted was my entry into the Masters of Educational Technology program at Michigan State University.
When I began to pursue educational technology, I was not sure what it was going to entail. My main goal was transforming my Spanish students to become global learners through the integration of technology into my classroom. My goal is still somewhat the same, but I now have a more clear vision of what "technology" means. My goal states making global learners with technology and at the time I truly believed that this meant using a computer. My goal has changed in the sense that I don't want just to use a computer as a source of technology, I want to use technology with the TPACK framework. Using the TPACK framework will allow me to use technology effectively, while integrating various pedagogies into my teaching, and bringing it all together to best benefit students in the content of Spanish.
One of my future learning goals that has stayed the same is being knowledgeable enough to teach different technology tips to my fellow colleagues within my district. I thought that it was going to be so easy! Little did I know how much time, effort, and learning it was going to take to effectively integrate technology. After realizing how busy the staff members of a whole district are, I believe it is better to start smaller and work with the teachers within my department and school. My first goal of helping the whole district was very broad and needs to be more specific in order to be more effective!
Lastly, when I began I wanted to have students create e-portfolios to show their work and the improvement of their skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking throughout their Spanish career as a learner. Honestly, I thought that this was going to be simple. Wrong again! Technology is not a computer with the Internet. It is finding the right technological tools to integrate and re-purpose to exemplify their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skill the best. Each skill has a variety of tools that can be used, not just one tool for all of the skills. My goal of creating the student portfolios now includes the use of different pedagogies combined with technology will help my students become global learner and connect with the Spanish-speaking world.
It all began with wanting to create global learners, wanting to share my knowledge with other staff members, and wanting my students to make e-portfolios. Looking back where it all began gives me the motivation to continue to use technology in my classroom. It is not easy, but it can be done!
When I began to pursue educational technology, I was not sure what it was going to entail. My main goal was transforming my Spanish students to become global learners through the integration of technology into my classroom. My goal is still somewhat the same, but I now have a more clear vision of what "technology" means. My goal states making global learners with technology and at the time I truly believed that this meant using a computer. My goal has changed in the sense that I don't want just to use a computer as a source of technology, I want to use technology with the TPACK framework. Using the TPACK framework will allow me to use technology effectively, while integrating various pedagogies into my teaching, and bringing it all together to best benefit students in the content of Spanish.
One of my future learning goals that has stayed the same is being knowledgeable enough to teach different technology tips to my fellow colleagues within my district. I thought that it was going to be so easy! Little did I know how much time, effort, and learning it was going to take to effectively integrate technology. After realizing how busy the staff members of a whole district are, I believe it is better to start smaller and work with the teachers within my department and school. My first goal of helping the whole district was very broad and needs to be more specific in order to be more effective!
Lastly, when I began I wanted to have students create e-portfolios to show their work and the improvement of their skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking throughout their Spanish career as a learner. Honestly, I thought that this was going to be simple. Wrong again! Technology is not a computer with the Internet. It is finding the right technological tools to integrate and re-purpose to exemplify their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skill the best. Each skill has a variety of tools that can be used, not just one tool for all of the skills. My goal of creating the student portfolios now includes the use of different pedagogies combined with technology will help my students become global learner and connect with the Spanish-speaking world.
It all began with wanting to create global learners, wanting to share my knowledge with other staff members, and wanting my students to make e-portfolios. Looking back where it all began gives me the motivation to continue to use technology in my classroom. It is not easy, but it can be done!