Phase III- Comprehensive Reflection

Part I 

1. Now that you have completed ETC 447, reread your first blog post (philosophy of education and use of technology).
2. In a paragraph or more describe how and why ( or why not) your philosophy of education has changed during the semester.
3. In a paragraph or more describe how your understanding of "technology integration" has changed AND provide examples of how you now think you will use technology in your classroom.

I believe my philosophy of education and use of technology post was spot on. In my first post, I discussed how I felt lucky to live in a digital age where there were so many resources available to aid my students. I am glad to have even more resources in my teacher toolbox and I will be able to continue to grow and expand my practice. My philosophy is that I am a facilitator of student learning and success, and technology definitely gives me another resource to do so. 

My understanding of technology integration has also expanded this semester. I actually took this course in 2007, and I find it fun to reflect on how the times and experience has changed. In 2007, our technology was creating PowerPoint, Excel sheets, Microsoft Word newsletters and making animated cartoons with narration. In 2017, however, the digital world has expanded so profoundly, those technologies are so basic it's not even something we would teach in a college level course. 

Our technological world makes it easy and safe for students to collaborate and share information and ideas online. technology helps our students connect with others across the school community and globe. Technology helps our students learn independently as well, and foster deeper understanding, connections and creativity. I will utilize tools such as StoryBird, Google Classrooms, Edmodo, KidBlog, Kahoot to create an online classroom community and help students express themselves.

Part II

1. In your final comprehensive reflection you should address all four of the Standards listed below and describe how you did OR would be able to do each of the four elements under each standard: For example, for Standard 1, Item 1, you should provide an example of how you did use technology OR would use technology to promote, support and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness in ways that would facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.
2. With each standard include a rationale for why you would approach each standard in the way that you have described.

Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

1. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
• I promoted, supported and modeled creative and innovative thinking in Microlesson 1, Writing Engaging Help-wanted Ads. I accomplished this by having students synthesize information taught in the Google Slide on what makes an effective ad, by having them create their own ads for their hypothetical small business. 
• I approached this standard in this manner because this activity allowed students to think about their own real-world application of the information, and create something rather than regurgitate information. This inspired students to be creative and innovative and produce their own product.
2. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
• In Microlesson 1, students were prompted to pretend they were small business entrepreneurs. This connected to the social studies economics unit currently underway as well. The problem proposed was :how do business owners find quality candidates and why is it important for them to do so? The Help-wanted writing activity was designed to have students think about these questions, and design an ad that would attract quality candidates to their job.
• I approached the standard in this manner because it took a real-life economics scenario and encouraged students to make connections in other areas. Not only did they need to decide what qualities they were looking for in their hypothetical business, but how to convey that message. The digital tools of using a Google Slide helped me present this information in an engaging way, and the students enjoyed the creativity they found in writing an ad using the Google Doc. They also found interesting clip art and made the ad visually appealing, adding a layer of thought to the process.
1. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
• In Microlesson 1, students were presented information via GoogleSlides. The information was chunked in a meaningful way, and they were also able to keep and access a digital copy of the information provided to refer to while creating their own project. The Google Doc was also a collaborative activity.
• I approached the standard in this matter because it allowed for further clarification and understanding of the lesson. Students were able to work in group, so they did use these tools to collaborate during the creative process. 
2. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
• This lesson could have been presented either face-to-face or via a virtual environment. Because the information was all presented in digital form, students could have easily remotely collaborated on this project as well as completing it in person. This allows for students to experience working with others in a variety of settings.
• I approached the standard in this manner because it was an easy way for me to access the needs of a variety of students. technology made the presentation available to students both in class and online, and students were all able to work on and contribute to the same google doc via their own computers. 

Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

1. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
• In the future I plan to incorporate digital tools and resources into my everyday lesson planning. One way I have found to accomplish this is through online "publishing." I like the website KidBlog, which is a safe and controlled way for students to publish their writing and share within the class. This provides an audience and purpose for student writing, allows them to be creative through blog design, addresses ELA standards of publishing with technology and writing over extended time frames. 
• I think this will be beneficial to my students because it does allow them to chronicle their work over time, provides opportunities for reflection and creates an online portfolio as a means for assessment.
2. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
• Using academic classroom websites such as Khan Academy is a great way to have students take control of their individual learning. Khan academy allows teachers, students and parents to see how they are preforming, and where they need improvement, as well as setting realistic goals for improvement. This is a great way for a teacher to fine-tune skills such a math; in addition to working on whole-group instruction and standards, students are able to work on individualized plans during math centers.
• I would chose this application because I think Khan Academy is a valuable tool to assist teachers in being able to stay on target with curriculum and still give students a chance to work on individual skills and areas where they need additional support. I also like that Khan Academy provides ongoing assessment and monitoring and gives instant feedback to both student and teacher.
3. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
• There are so many ways to address diverse learning styles, and incorporating technology enrichens the experience and available applications. One way to incorporate this would be by providing students with a menu of choices. For example, while doing a report on animals, students could have the opportunity to create a PowerPoint presentation, a video, a Popplet map, a Glogster poster to present the information in a way they can excel in, rather than being limited to a word document or a pen-an-paper assignment.
• I would chose these methods in order to give my students freedom to express themselves and their individual learning styles. these tools are a great way to have students stay focused and engaged in a project, and an easy way to accomplish a goal of teaching all students one standard that allows for different products.
4. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
• As mentioned before, Khan Academy provides ongoing assessment for teachers to record data to measure growth. I feel it is an excellent tool for monitoring student progress. Other applications like GoogleForms allows teachers to make an online assessment for students to fill out both before and after a lesson, in order to see if objectives were taught. This can also be done in an interactive way, by using an online game such as Kahoot. 
• I feel all three of the applications mentioned above are excellent tools, and provide different results depending on teacher needs. A Google Form would probably be the quickest and most accurate way to conduct a formative and summative assessment, and it is easy for the teacher to keep track of data as well. 

Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning 

1. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
• With hundreds of technology resources available, it is logical for teachers to be come comfortable and proficient in using a few technologies they think can be most beneficial to their classes, and adding on as they go. As educators, part of our responsibility to ourselves and our students is continual professional development to be able to learn as much as we can, to facilitate as best we can.
• I believe this is the best way to approach being fluent in technological systems, because, for practical application, it is better to have a deeper understanding of a useful tool than basic knowledge of many. I will choose to focus on technologies that are most fitting and beneficial to my specific classes- technologies which may vary based on individual students and needs.
2. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
• Technology provides many ways to encourage collaboration. Video calling applications such as Skype allow students to be connected to others, which can be extremely useful in gaining new and interesting perspectives, such as through guest speakers, video pen pals. Sites such as Collaborize Classroom lets teacher post inquiry-based questions for students to respond to or projects they can work together to complete in a virtual classroom setting. MURAL is another excellent tool for having an online "space" for students to collaborate ideas and work together online in real time.
• I find these applications to be useful, because they are adaptable to your specific needs as a teacher. There are so may technological resources available, it is relatively easy for a teacher to discover what will work best for her own classroom, once she has the knowledge on resources available.
3. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
• Technology for communication is probably the most useful and practical application. The remind app allows teachers to contact families and older students who have cell phones with important reminders and information, without having to exchange phone numbers.Other applications such as class dojo provide ways for parents to have real-time access to their student's behavior and classroom experience. Of course, email is always still a quick and efficient way to provide communication, and even links to online classrooms and virtual newsletters. Edmodo is another virtual classroom application where students and parents can be connected.
• Communication is such an important factor in helping our students succeed. I find technology to be a wonderful way to facilitate this conversation and help keep an open dialogue with families, which is so crucial to student success. 
4. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
• As stated, the internet is abundant with amazing resources for teachers. As we continue to grow our practice, we are able to find additional tools that are suited to our students needs. It is important in this rapidly-changing digital world to stay relevant, to help our students be the most successful they can be.
• I will continue to look for emerging digital tools to help support best practices and engage my students in meaningful and relevant learning.

Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Jigsaw assignment

1. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
• It is very important to teach our students from a young age the necessity to cite sources to avoid plagiarism. It is so easy to copy and paste information, to save and use a photograph that isn't ours or to post media found online. Online sites such as Purdue Owl is a very helpful resource for older students to learn correct citation for a variety of sources. Introducing students to tools like EasyBib is another way to get them to understand how to cite correctly.
•  I would start this even in the early grades, because the more students have been taught how to document sources from a young age, the more ingrained it will be as they get older and start doing independent research and projects. 
2. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
• Using learner-centered strategies is best practice no matter what subject or content area you are teaching. Technology adds a rich depth of available resources to help broaden this scope. Like Khan Academy, DreamBox math application is a great way to have students working on independent needs, and allows the teacher to provide differentiation. This helps close the math gap by providing support for students who may be struggling, while at the same time allows students who need an extra challenge to have their needs met as well.
• I absolutely love resources like Khan Academy and DreamBox, and I think they are an amazing addition to a classroom. I plan on offering these resources as support during Math centers and also as independent practice challenges to encourage students to take accountability for their learning.
3. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
• As teacher, it is our responsibility to ensure all our students are being responsible digital citizens. My personal philosophy for the classroom is: Is it safe? Is it kind? My students will understand that cyber bullying in any way, shape or form will not be tolerated, and their digital footprint is just as powerful and permanent as their physical one. I will be sure to have clear rules and procedures for appropriate digital use and guidelines to ensure my students use proper digital "netiquette." 
• This is an extremely important topic to me, as I find our student's current envelopment with social media to be a blessing and a curse.It is one of my personal goals as a teacher to help develop responsible and kind human beings, and I believe strongly emphasizing good digital citizenship, what it looks like and how to accomplish this is of utmost importance as a 21st Century teacher.  
4. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.
• Along with being a good digital citizen comes the need for global and cultural sensitivity. The internet is a wonderful tool to help our student access cultures and worlds they have never experienced before. It is also important to teach them respect for differences. Just because they do not understand something right away does not mean it is wrong, or weird or scary. In fact, students are often amazed to find the connections that DO exist in places they never expected.
• I will approach this standard by helping my students draw these connections. It is important for students to be able to communicate with others from a variety of backgrounds in preparation to be successful in a global world, and teaching compassion, tolerance and understanding is a great way to start.