Reflection Ch. 1

Where are you starting your journey? Before my third year at Western, I could work Microsoft programs fairly well. I was familiar with Excel and Word, I could knock out a pretty decent spread sheet, but that was the extent of my technology training. In one of my language arts classes, we were asked to make a digital story and relate it somehow to language. Now I was in over my head. I found Windows Movie Maker on my computer, and found myself sitting there staring at the screen. Eventually I took an online tutorial, and what can I say, I was hooked. I decided to make a connection between my passion: dance, and language acquisition. I learned how to bring in pictures, video, and music. The finished product was by far more lovingly made than any simple presentation I could have done.

This is when I found myself becoming much more tech savvy when it comes to the classroom. The students I serve need differentiated instruction, which technology and computer programming allows me to infuse into my lessons with ease.

The book states that today's students are up to the challenge and these projects will be worth the effort. I can personally attest to the truthfulness of these words. The most successful projects I have conducted in practicum have involved the use of multimedia projects and online research. The students simply get more out of mixing written text and video than me standing there talking at them.

I love the line "projects form the centerpiece of the curriculum, they are not an add-on at the end of a 'real' unit." The school I am currently serving only uses hands-on project-based learning. Some classes are doing projects about NASA. Out in the main hallway there is a "mystery scene" set up for the class studying forensics. As a teacher, I am learning these new methods of teaching as I go. I am learning how to use new technology and project-based learning to make my lessons more meaningful and allow my students real life experiences in the classroom.