The Class Experience

Using Productivity Tools Effectively (CEDO 515) has inspired a great deal of thought and reflection into my teaching practices. The first two classes in the program were more focused on learning some basic skills but this course has involved more instruction on how to actually implement technology-based activities. What I have found out is that even though I have used technology for various purposes in the classroom, it has not been utilized to anywhere near its full potential.

The textbook has provided me with a great deal of very useful tips on creating technology-based activities that are student driven. What I have found in the classroom is that when students do not have a lot of structure and clear step-by-step procedures they tend to become frustrated and struggle. This summer I have attempted to use many of the tips from the textbook for my summer school courses. I have found my activities have been more organized and have found myself doing a better job facilitating the students rather than continuously providing direct instruction.

Even though I have always thought of myself as someone who knew a lot of what is on the web, there have been many tools throughout the class that I had not fully explored. It is my belief that the web and technology are going to be at the center of education in the future. My hope is to play a leading role in helping my school integrate these tools. It has been valuable to learn important steps that districts must take in training staff and selecting the software to be utilized by the district.

I already have a great deal of passion and interest in technology in education. My classroom will have better technology-based activities and I will be able to play a bigger role in my district's technology leadership due to the knowledge and skills learned in class.

Building a Website

Something I have considered doing several times but have not pulled the trigger on is building a classroom website. I have used a Web 2.0 tool (Edmodo) in my classes for a couple of years but feel a course webpage would be a good complement. Edmodo has provided a great place for me to share files and facilitate online discussions but I would like a course webpage to keep important files such as a syllabus and contact information easily available to students and parents. I can post those materials on Edmodo but it shows the newest materials near the top and the older stuff tends to get buried. Plus, a username and password is required for Edmodo so a webpage would allow more accessibility for parents.
Google sites would offer a good solution for my need to have a course page. The computer classes at the school have offered to build and maintain a site (through dreamweaver I believe) but I would like to have unlimited accessibility and editing ability. I have played around with Google Sites a little in the past but have not took the step to completely construct a usable site. This should give me a better communication tool with parents.

In Time Videos

The In Time video I watched was about class project that involved students creating a CD-ROM that profiled their community (Manson, Iowa) in detail. It involved many of the key components of a good technology-based project including organization, scaffolding, authentic assessment, multiple-disciplines, and multiple software and hardware usage. The project was comprehensive and ongoing. Students learned the content and skills necessary to complete the project throughout the course and were given time to work on it. The end result was a technology-driven product that displayed student achievement according to the learning product. The product was shown and/or given to community members, thus making the assessment truly authentic.
At my school, my department has spent a great deal of time revising curriculum and getting up-to-date on the best practices in social studies education. I have felt that in order to properly measure student learning that a comprehensive and ongoing project would be something that should be included in most classes. I have struggled with teachers who have a difficult time moving away from the traditional lecture and then test model of teaching history. A project along the lines of the video I watched would be something I could take to my department and potentially build on as it is my hope to integrate this type of project in my classes.