Module+4+Reflection

=Reflection 4=

=== Reflect on your thinking surrounding your developing a philosophy of Instructional Technology use for learning and your understanding of 21st Century Teaching and Learning  === This week we read about the ideas surrounding 21st Century Learning, and the inequities and challenges that we face moving forward: to update schools, provide students with positive and meaningful interactions with technology, and to support a growing workforce that has become technologically dependent and driven.
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**Impact: ** I was really impressed by the fact that schools are starting to view technology as a great tool to update not only their approach to learning and teaching, but also their ability to better support students as they enter the workplace or higher education. Technology is not a “new” development anymore, and schools need to arm their teachers with the capabilities to use these tools to support student learning. As I read through the chapter, I noticed a lot of different approaches to that, some in the form of professional development and others in curriculum alignment. The positive development is that they were all focusing on the idea that the gaining of these skills would not only help students in the real-world, but also revitalize and change the face of what education will look like in the future. After looking at Table 3.2 however, I was astonished at how far behind these developments actually are on a state and district level, and saw how the disconnect with change could be a potentially damaging road for schools who don’t start recognizing and implementing the changes. In a worst case scenario, it would mean some of these settings would become essentially obsolete. As I begin to consider my philosophy of instructional technology, the one core ingredient for me is this: That students need to have content rich experiences with technology that truly support their growth in and outside of the classroom as well as a level of proficiency that allows them to adapt these tools to fit their needs in and outside of the classroom environment. As an educator, I feel that it is imperative that students become not only technologically proficient, but also that they can take these experiences (and the tools used within them) and use them as they progress into the real-world. As our workplaces become more connected and change shape, this require students to be able to manipulate tools, information, and often to develop a product that supports their fields of study (higher education) or their careers, and I find that the students within my school building are often not able to effectively problem-solve and use these tools in a multitude of environments. This problem is propagated by a lack of resources (or access to them), a lack of significant experiences that utilize technology in meaningful ways, and even a disconnection of knowledge between teachers/administration on how best to deliver their course content as well as implementing a program design that supports technology standards and integration. Furthermore, I don’t see as much curriculum support to integrate technology as I would like, and I often think it’s a lack of knowledge about how to do it rather than teachers who are unwilling. Technology use needs to be taught, aligned with curriculum standards, supported with the proper tools and content, and encouraged by the positive modeling of good implementation practices. Since traditional schools are becoming less effective as times change, we as educators/administrators need to change and grow, and I believe that this growth and resurgence of enthusiasm and support for teaching students is the role that technology should begin to take as schools move more into the role of 21st Century schools.

**Intent: ** Ultimately, my goal as an educator is to seamlessly implement technology into my classroom not only as a way to complete an assignment, but also as a tool that can be used in a multifaceted way for my students. It is my role to provide experiences that give them a level of competence with ever-changing technology tools, and also give them the ability to transfer this knowledge to other experiences and environments. This may be easier said than done, yet as classrooms and the world change, we must change our approaches as well if we intend to remain vital, enthusiastic, and positive role models for our students. In a perfect world, this needs to be a concentrated effort by all involved in this process of change (state level, district administration, teachers, support staff), and it needs to be supported by technology leaders and facilitators who model and provide information and tools to all levels of the spectrum. By having this level of support and implementation, while there may be bumps, there will be a plan of action to help redirect and remain focused on the goals that were previously decided. While this may be an ideal situation I’ve described, I believe that schools, as they become more focused on how best to meet student needs, and the ways in which the learning objectives of the classroom and district can be aligned with technology to gain this, will become more motivated to utilize technology aligned curriculum to attain their goals.


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