Final Reflection on Integrating Technology in the Content Area

I am nearing the end of the final week of my final class through Walden University for my Graduate Certificate in Integrating Technology in the Content Areas. I have been exposed to technology and different ways to incorporate them into my daily teaching. I have created a Wiki, wrote a blog, and created Voicethreads, among many other things. I was aware of many of these resources before I took the classes, but I never had the time to sit down and figure out how to use them effectively. Taking these classes forced me to set aside blocks of time and figure it all out, and for that reason, I am very glad that I decided to take these courses. For this final course, I developed a personal GAME plan for increasing technology use in my classroom. This plan had me set goals for what I wanted my students to learn and then take action to make my goals happen. Along the way, I had to monitor my progress and evaluate whether I needed to make any modifications. My first goal was to integrate more collaboration and social networking into my class. My GAME lesson plan that I developed for my students to teach them about the endangered animals of Pennsylvania did just that. Through E-pals, I was able to locate teachers from other areas of the country and the world that would like to exchange ideas about how students can help with habitat conservation. I have other ideas that I will implement when the school year begins. I would like to find professionals that will Skype or e-mail with my students so that they can be used as a primary resource for research. My other goal was to encourage my fellow teachers to incorporate technology into their teaching on a regular basis. I have a Powerpoint of resources and ideas and I have asked my Superintendent if I could present at a future professional development. Because we have not yet started the school year, he could not give me a definitive date, but he said that I would be able to share my ideas with my peers near the beginning of the school year. I plan to continue the implementation of my personal GAME plan when the school year begins. I also plan to share the process with my students so that they can make personal GAME plans for themselves, whether their goal is to complete more homework, get a certain grade in a class, or complete an online class in a timely manner. I am also looking forward to incorporating technology into my content area enrichment units. I plan on implementing more problem-based learning so that the projects are more meaningful , authentic, and self-directed, all things that a Gifted student should be working on to enrich their intellectual gifts. I also look forward to collaborating with other teachers through Skype and the Epals website to which I have become a member. I also look forward to incorporating digital story-telling by having my students create movie trailers of their favorite books, write stories on their endangered animals, and collaborate with a Holocaust survivor to create a story that tells of their experience during the Holocaust. There are so many things to look forward to in this upcoming school year now that I am armed with all of these new ideas about integrating technology!