NETS-T1 Assignment

According to the NETS (National Educational Technology Standards), I must work the following standard into my classroom:

Use my knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation- in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

As a second-year teacher, I have not had as many opportunities as others to employ this standard, but I'd like to think I try to implement these skills on a daily basis.

As a 7-12 Language Arts certified educator, I am confident in my knowledge of the subject matter, the methodology behind teaching, and the methodology behind learning. I would definitely say that I am the least confident in utilizing technology in my classroom to achieve the above goals (advance student learning, creativity, and innovation). I believe that this is partially because the technology that's available to classrooms today was simply not available nor accessible when I attended K-12 schooling. This factor, unfortunately, is completely out of my control.

But there is one factor that is within my control, and that is my own learning of and implementation of technology. I realize that up until this point, I have kind of avoided immersing myself in technology, for fear of getting in over my head (no pun intended). But now I see that incorporating technology into my classroom is a MUST for the 21st century, and not only that, it will ultimately help me achieve the goals outlined at the top of this post.

I would like to focus on indicators C and D for the remainder of my post. Teachers should:

C) Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

D) Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

I think I frequently push my students to reflect-- probably more so than in other subject areas. I have my students reflect especially when we are dealing with controversial or sensitive material in the classroom (i.e. the Jewish Holocaust). However, the bulk of this reflection is done in class and is handwritten. Once in awhile, the students will go home and type their responses, but I rarely post them or display them in the class for others to see. Most responses are simply shared orally. I am definitely thinking of having 4 class Wikis (one for each class) or 4 class Discussion Boards in which the students have a more informal forum in which to reflect on course material. Because the students will have lots of time to work on this outside of school (@ their computers), I believe that their writing will be more authentic and that their voices will be stronger.

In regards to Indicator D, I believe that I am a strong modeler in the classroom. In fact, modeling is probably the teaching practice that I stand behind the most. But I realize that I do not model virtual environments frequently, and when I do, I don't always model them well. I believe that the aforementioned Wiki (or Discussion Board) referenced in the above paragraph would be another means to achieve this end. Not only would the students be participating; I would participate as well. And with this virtual participation, I could model the types of authentic responses I would like them to formulate.

I am excited for the classes ahead in which we discuss our future projects, and I wish everyone a lovely week! Yay for the warm weather this weekend!! :)