Blog Post 1: Technology Strengths and Weakness

Based on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for Teachers (2008), I feel that I do a good job of facilitating student creativity and learning once I have seen how a resource can be used. I need to continue to improve my design and development of digital age learning experiences. I need to facilitate more opportunities for students to work collaboratively using technology resources to solve authentic problems. Within the classroom, I differentiate learning experiences based on students’ abilities and previous knowledge, but I need to build on that and differentiate using different digital resources. I regularly demonstrate my fluency in technology systems and my leadership within the school. Students see teachers coming to me with questions about how to use or how to implement the technologies that we have for the classroom. I am a member of multiple technology committees on my campus and within my district. This allows me to learn about emerging technologies and be a part of the decision making processes.

As an educator, I plan to encourage students to take risks with their thinking and give them opportunities to solve real-world problems using digital tools.  I plan to work together with my colleagues on campus and across the globe to find innovative ways for students to construct knowledge using the technology resources that are available. I will work collaboratively with parents and support staff to help support student success in the classroom. I will model proper digital etiquette and responsible social interactions when using technology.

In order to overcome my weaknesses, I need to take more risks when it comes to trying new activities within the classroom. I need to put in the time needed to design lessons that will use technology to increase student motivation and conceptual understanding. I need to find more opportunities for students to solve authentic problems, building on the content knowledge that they already possess. There are many things that I would like to learn in order to improve my instructional strategies. I would like to learn about more ways to encourage student reflection and planning during the creative process. I would like to learn more about copyright and intellectual property laws in order to model and teach these to my students. I would like to learn more about various educational apps and software packages that work best for students of different ages. I would like to learn how to create web quests and design websites. I have much to learn, but with dedication, I will be able to meet the standards set forth by the ISTE Standards for Teachers.

Reference:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). ISTE standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for-teachers.