Once again, class was amazing. I know that I am going to miss this class when it ends in a few days. I have always loved school. Ever since I was a little kid, I was a sponge constantly seeking new ideas and information to absorb and trying to find new ways to do so. I have always had a thirst for knowledge and this class is exactly the kind of learning experience that I think most people crave- it is informative, practical and fun! Of course the nature of the material allows it to be all those things so that does not hurt. Through our M.A. we are learning how to be teachers but in this class, we are also learning how to be students. Each one of us is learning how to use new tools and apply them in ways we have not done before. Our students will be experiencing the same types of feelings, which range from joy to frustration to utter confusion, that we have been the past few days. It’s opening our eyes to see if from their perspective. We can understand where their frustrations will lie with certain applications and we are finding those tools that will genuinely excite them.
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I know that I will use all the tools I am learning in this course in the future whether it be for academic or personal use. Day 3 was another day filled with fun and creative tools that I see myself using in so many different ways for such a wide range of topics. My love affair with Google grew deeper with learning about Google Forms. After we discussed the ways we as teachers can apply this particular tool in our academic setting, I began to jot down notes of ways our students could use it. My mind immediately went to math and science classes. This would be a fantastic way to collaborate with classroom teachers to make a unique and interesting project. For example, an inter-disciplinary project between Math and English Language Arts for Middle Schoolers would work well. Students would create a survey on a book of their choice using Google Forms. Once the form is completed by their classmates, the students would then analyze the data processed by Google Forms. Once the analysis is complete, they would write an essay which incorporated the knowledge and data they obtained from the Form along with information about the book itself. They could provide reasoning as to why they thought students preferred one character over another or why some might have disliked the ending (think the Evaluation Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy). So the Form would allow students to complete an interdisciplinary project in conjunction with higher-level thinking skills while allowing them to make choices and be creative.
The Storytelling and Presentation tools were another list of innovative, creative applications for both student and teacher use. I liked how the tools could be used for different students on different levels. There are tools some that are much more advanced than others but that’s not always a good thing and does not work for all students. The variety of tools that can bring you to similar outcomes allows for differentiation while letting each student use their creativity and their own interests. Education needs to adapt to the rapidly changing ways of technology and the students that are a result of that technology. Although a lot of changes need to be done on the part of schools to use all these new tools, the outcome will be worth the effort. What an incredible time to be a student! Learning has the opportunity to be more personal and engaging that any other time in history. Luckily as a librarian (and because of this class), I am ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. This is not because I know about these applications; because technology changes so rapidly, but because I have caught the technology bug and I see the potential and power of its usage. It’s with that knowledge that I know I am ready to take on a job that requires me to be at the forefront of technological advancements.
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