A Look Back

-Reflect on the “Personal Theory of Learning” you developed in Week 1. Summarize any modifications to your personal theory of learning you have made as a result of your learning in this course.

I always try to use personal connections and hands on experience with my kindergarten students. Kindergarten is the first year students have "real school" experience. They must rely on personal connections since school experience is limited. I use food with some of my math lessons so the children can use their senses to remember a concept. I also start the year with calendar and alphabet songs. I enjoy music so I tend to use it in my classroom more. A modification to my learning theory would be technology. Technology has come a long way in our classrooms. With the current use of Smart Boards, students are able to be more involved with lessons. Gone are the times of sitting in a desk and listening to lectures. Technology has made learning interactive and provided great resources to students.

-Describe any immediate adjustments you will make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration as a result of your learning in this course. Identify two technology tools you would like to use with your students and how the tools will support or enhance your students’ learning.

I recently got a document camera in my classroom. I am working on getting a laptop so I can show students more webquests, powerpoints, and websites. I would like to use, or at least introduce, students to the programs we used in this course. I usually gather the students around a computer screen to show them something. Once I can get the laptop, visuals and student involvement will be easier. It has been a different world having the document camera.

-List two long-term goal changes you would like to make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration and outline a strategy for achieving them.

I would like to incorporate more technology at the primary level. Before this course I never thought to use technology in the ways I’ve learned to in the past 8 weeks. I felt it was hard to incorporate the technology with 5 year olds.

A great way to incorporate technology would be virtual field trips. It would be a way students can be interactive in the learning process. The students are able to go places they would not normally be able to visit. I plan to use more virtual field trips to give greater experiences in the classroom. I would like to make available a class blog for students and parents. I want to do away with paper newsletters and have a place where parents can comment on class activities. If I had parents that were computer savvy, I would show them ways they could conduct a class blog or wiki. It would be my hopes that parents can work together to teach other how to use the class programs.

Collaboration for the Future

Working in groups is what I use in my classroom. I have learning centers in my classroom and the students work together on various activities. Collaboration is a skill that students need to be successful in the 21st century. With the social learning theory, students are engaged in constructing and conversing with others. Students learn so much from each other. One example of working together I use in my classroom, is with behavior. Each table is a family team and they work together as one. The students remind each other that they need to work together to accomplish positive incentives.

I believe using technology in kindergarten will be a teacher guided approach. It is more of an introduction to technology rather than having the students use the programs without guidance. I would like to use more Webquests and blogs in my classroom. I also want to get the parents involved where they can use technology with their child. Something small as logging into a blog or using VoiceThreads with the students. I made a section on my letter for websites parents can use with their child. Starfall.com is a great one for students to learn letters/sounds and for beginner readers.

Voice Thread

This experience wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Here is my voicethread.

http://voicethread.com/share/1381680/