Reflection

Working on a graduate degree at Walden University has greatly advanced my skills in technology. It has opened up my eyes to a whole new world and helped me go about finding ways to expand my technology skills. This degree program has allowed me an opportunity to set long term goals to increase technology usage and integrate technology goals into the content standards set forth by the state. By continuing my studies at Walden I hope to become a teacher that can prepare my students for the 21st century workplace.

Through my studies at Walden I have learned many new skills such as creating a podcast, creating a wikispace and developing a blog. I have learned to use these in my classroom to enhance the learning of my students and make class more relevant to my students' lives. I have also learned to use these tools for my own personal benefit. With these new technology skills I have learned that I can collaborate with other teachers and get new ideas to constantly update my teaching strategies to adapt to my students' ever changing lives (Richardson, 2009). My new technology skills have allowed me to give my students the skill of collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, leadership, and creativity that they will need in the future (Laureate, 2008). Learning these new skills have made me more comfortable with technology and I feel comfortable using these with my classes. This skills have become quite invaluable in my pursuit to educate my students for the 21st century workplace.

There are many ways I can continue to expand my knowledge of technology integration with the aim of increasing student achievement. First, I believe I must be up to date on current technologies and become familiar with using them. By knowing about the newest technologies available I will be able to brainstorm ideas about using them in my classroom. Second, I must continue to collaborate with colleagues and exchange ideas about using new technologies in the classroom. By communicating with various teachers I can gain valuable information and begin to modify my lessons according to what has worked for others and what fits best with my students. Third, I must keep up with current research on what technologies are reaching students. By staying informed on current research I can use technology methods that have been proven and this will make me more confident in my lessons. All of these different ways of expanding my knowledge of technology will allow me to increase student achievement and allow them use technology that they will be required to when they enter the workforce.

There are a few steps that I can take to transform my classroom environment into a place where technology is integrated seamlessly to meet instructional goals. One long term goal that I have set to achieve this is by allowing students to submit their assignments on wikispaces and blogs. I plan to post assignments on the wikispace and have students submit their assignments here. On the classroom blog students will be able to comment on other students' work and give suggestions about the assignment. I also plan to use blogs and wikis to allow students to work together on projects. This way they are collaborating with each other and become comfortable communicating through these means on more than just a social level. My second long term goal that I have set to achieve a seamlessly integrated classroom is by having everything available to my students through digital means. By posting all assignments on a wikispace or blog my students will not fall behind if they miss a day of school. This helps them use technology and helps with student achievement because they will have no excuse for missing an assignment. Also, this will allow me to have a legitimate assignment for my students if I have to miss a day of work. I can post podcasts to the blog and wikispace as a classroom assignment and have a usual assignment posted on the blog and wikispace. I hope to have my students so used to these types of assignments that if I do have to miss class they will not notice that I am absent.

Overall, my Walden experience has helped me become more technology savvy especially in my teaching practices. It has helped me with student achievement because my lessons are more relevant to my students. It has helped me prepare my students for their future in the American workforce by allowing them to use new technologies for something other that socializing. I feel far more prepared to help my students enter the 21st century than I did when I began this program. Hopefully I will one day master these teaching practices and become the best teacher my students' could ever have.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). 2008. Skills for the 21st Century [Motion picture]. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Baltimore: Author.

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.