Blog Post #4: Reflecting Over the Semester

During this post, I will revisit my initial course expectations (listed below) and discuss my overall feelings on the TPTE 486 course.

Course Expectations 

• Develop skills needed to effectively and appropriately use technology in the early childhood classroom.
• Become confident in creating a classroom website for parents to use as a resource and window into our classroom. 

     To begin, I must say that I feel both my initial expectations/goals have been met. Actually these goals have been accomplished more than I would have ever expected. In the beginning (as I've stated many times), I was hesitant that any technology could be beneficial in an early childhood classroom. This course has allowed me to learn appropriate ways I could use technology as a future teacher. I feel that the course disclosed both pros and cons of each technology form addressed during the semester, giving the students in TPTE a non-biased viewpoint. These thoughts support my decision that the course met my first listed expectation. 

   

     My second listed course expectation focuses on the classroom website each student was required to create. Honestly, I was also hesitant for this part of the course-- hesitant, but excited. The hesitancy I felt developed from years of unsuccessfully viewing/utilizing a teacher's classroom website. All the experience I had with classroom websites was frustrating and not helpful in the slightest bit. I debated how effectively a classroom website could be used (a naive thought). On another note, I was very excited to learn how to put together my own classroom website-- hopefully making it into a wonderful resource for my future parents, instead of a source of frustration. 

     At the beginning of the semester, I continued to be nervous when attempting to layout my website. I now truly buy into Mr. Beard's advice on technology: making mistakes is one of the best ways to create a learning moment for yourself and others. After several failed attempts, I began to grow more comfortable with the program, just as I became more comfortable with all of our Web 2.0 tools. One thing I really like about this TPTE class is the way all projects are tied together into a classroom website. From this one website, I am able to access every assignment I completed throughout the semester. I find this to be extremely helpful for future reference, as well as a thorough final product. 

     After lots of focus (and failed attempts), I feel that I successfully created a classroom website that I would be proud to use as a teacher in the future. Below are a few picture examples of my classroom website, allowing you to get a feel for the site's layout and key features.

Blog #3 Chapter One Reflection

Interactive White Board Review

Initial Thoughts...     

When beginning to work with Interactive White Board this semester, a red flag immediately flew up in my mind. During one past semester, I was placed in a school system that used Interactive White Boards in every classroom. From a technology standpoint, this was a wonderful move in the right direction. From a developmentally appropriate standpoint, however, it was the complete opposite at this particular school system. My only experience observing the boards being used in an early childhood classroom (birth to age 8) was witnessing the teacher totally depend on a flip chart to teach the lesson, leave the lights off in the classroom almost all day to allow them to see the board, and have the children work through every lesson from the board. In my mind, Interactive White Boards connected with no collaboration, an abundance of "screen time", and no hands-on learning. I am happy to say that my time in this TPTE 486 class has changed these thoughts significantly. 

Reviewing Chapter One...

• "...research suggests that the success of their use depends on how they are implemented by teachers in a learning environment." After reading this statement in the first section, I could not agree more. I believe it is absolutely vital for teacher's to have a complete understanding of what is developmentally appropriate for their students at any age, not just during early childhood. I feel like this understanding will directly correlate to the way a teacher implements the use of an interactive white board in his/her classroom. 
• In the third section, the phrases "...teachers must use interactive whiteboards thoughtfully..." and with "proper adoption" stuck out to me. These phrases emphasized the points that teachers should be the ones to make the decision of when and how much to use the boards. I was impressed with the fact that the book highlighted this idea. 
• The book reviews the interactive whiteboards' impact on student achievement in this section. I found it interesting that some studies found a significant gain in achievement when using the boards, while other studies found no real gain. 
• The last two sections of the chapter focus on instructional training for the teacher. I cannot express how much I agree with the statements in the book. I am very thankful to have had the exposure and education of the boards during this TPTE class. I cannot imagine having a board installed in your classroom without extensive training and understand how teachers often misuse the boards. 

Questions...

     After reading this chapter and having the chance to experiment with an interactive whiteboard in class, several questions kept returning to my mind. How appropriate is the use of this technology in a PreK-2nd grade classroom? What effects does using the board have on students with ADHD? How does the board compare with student achievement when student's have the opportunity to learn the material in a "hands-on" way?