Personal Reflection

      Upon completion of this project, I learned many things about meaningful learning with technology integration, and really enjoyed the opportunity to search different mediums to further our understanding of how technology can play a role in a classroom. Building a concept map of our understanding, and searching Pinterest was a creative way to understand the concepts at hand.

      Personally, I learned that technology should be a tool that teachers use to help further understanding. It should not replace the teacher completely, but rather be a supplementary resource for them to use.  By incorporating technology into a classroom, students will be more proficient at an emerging life skill and better prepared for the shift into the digital age.

      Given unlimited resources I would certainly apply this concept, by way of allowing each student to have their own computer, in which a personal email, twitter, and other accounts would be set up to allow the students to stay connected to the class. By remaining linked, students can see how lessons from class appear outside of the classroom, then post or email for the rest of the class to see.  This outside sharing of information fosters even more learning, but in a way that appeals to the digital generation.

      With the rise in technology, the question for me remains why haven't more teachers chosen to move into the social media age? Children and teenagers alike are the booming demographic on social media, and it should be harnessed as an up and coming assistive tool to engage students. Using Facebook, Twitter, and other social media can serve as a technology integration that will not overtake the classroom but instead expand its possibilities.

Reading Reflections for the Foundations Project

         For me personally, learning and technology have more recently become intertwined. Many classes of mine have switched to digital learning in the sense that we are required to complete and submit assignments that are found online, mostly through ELC. The shift to more technological work for me came when I started college, as high school learning did not place emphasis on technology aside from Power Point. Recent classes of mine have required me to work completely online, while others still shy away from the tool.

         After reading the chapter on Meaningful Learning, I was surprised to find out that many curriculums focus around teaching to a test. To me this was a really upsetting realization, as I believe this sort of learning is troublesome for the big picture. Students who are just merely taught to pass a standardized test will eventually struggle with questions outside of the realm of a test and will possibly not measure up adequately with students who are not learning for a test.

         The big takeaway from this reading assignment was that students can learn with technology. For me, an important statement was "technology cannot teach students, rather students learn as they use technology," as it illustrates the point clearly to me as a new idea. Instead of using technology as a crutch for a teaching style, incorporation of technology along with teaching can serve to better assist students. With the digital age booming, technology will need to eventually move into classrooms in a more dominant way, but they should not completely take over.

Blogs I follow related to my profession:

http://cgcsblog.asc.upenn.edu

http://rsa.cwrl.utexas.edu

http://silvertonguetimes.com/tag/rhetoric-blog/

http://www.coffeerhetoric.com