Blog reflection #7

In week one I wrote some goals for this course, one of them was the ability to apply what I have learned in this course to my students and learning community.  I still hope to do these things and also improve on my instructional delivery by becoming more of an “informator” and less of an “automator.” My educational philosophy may not have changed considerably but my thinking has, and educational technology means more than just how technology should be integrated into instruction.  During week 6 I liked the statement about technology integration and how we must consider the learning goals first, and then decide how technology can enhance instruction, instead of the reverse.  My philosophy also states my belief in the importance of differentiated instruction, and I thought that I already did this fairly well; however, during week 2 I realized that I expect students to perform internet searches the same way, sequentially, when I do not even prefer this form of retrieval myself. I also realized that technology tools such as wikis and blogs can be a great way for teachers to build teamwork, collaborate and share ideas.

Revised Educational Philosophy

The purpose of education is to empower individuals with the ability to reach their full potential as successful participants in today’s society.  An educator has a tremendous responsibility to be a role model for students, and to set an example of excellence in setting and achieving goals.  I was influenced by teachers who employed traditional methods of learning basic fundamentals, but whose enthusiasm for the materials kept me interested. My favorite teachers were encouraging and caring, but at the same time we as students understood that mediocrity was not acceptable.  The best teachers in my experience also showed me that we must learn from our mistakes.  They had a sense of humor about their own shortcomings and as a result, they took ownership of their imperfections, learned from bad choices, and then moved on without looking back. My teaching methods now also reflect a modern approach of the teacher as facilitator because I believe that emerging technology keeps students engaged and enables students to construct new knowledge.

 
I choose to be a teacher and librarian that instills a love for reading, a desire to gain new knowledge and sets a precedence of life-long learning. One of the most important things I can do as librarian is instill in the learner that one must receive, process and use information analytically.  A learner has a responsibility to determine the source of information, why and how information is being presented and to distinguish between opinion, theory and fact and to take all of these facets to construct new knowledge and understanding.  I also believe that students need to receive instruction on how to treat information ethically and to be respectful of intellectual property. As a result of my past teachers and educational background I have learned that people learn differently, and a teacher should be aware of these differences to help each student reach their full potential.

Blog reflection #6

It is difficult to speculate what the future of podcasting is in education, and the reason is because of how quickly technology changes.  When I was in college, I used microfiche to read articles and slides to review artwork and for me, the technology did what it was designed to do-provide me with information to improve learning.  The only bad part about using these tools was the fact that I had to go to the library to use them, and the irony is that now I am a librarian!  One of the greatest benefits of technology such as podcasting is the fact that it is portable and accessible at a remote location. The portion of the Podcasting article that stood out to me was on p.10. The author states that educators too often start with the technology and then determine what kinds of activities that tech can support.  The reverse should be true, and educators should be centered on meeting educational goals, then “determine whether technology can play a role in helping achieve those goals.”   Too much time is probably devoted to the technology itself and not to learning goals—“technology for the sake of technology.”

The article discusses in great length the uses of podcasts including the creation and distribution of lectures, but in K-12 education, the best use of podcasts is to supplement the instruction. Podcasting is not popular at my school, most likely because of barriers such as lack of funding for mp3 players and iPods, but I still believe it is a great way to engage and motivate students.  One way to use podcasts in class is a means for students to share what they have learned with others.  For example, in history class, a student could interview a grandparent or parent about a historical event such as 9-11 and share it with the class. In the library, I would like to have students create their own podcasts of book reviews to share with other students.