A Successful Change Agent – Reflection
As I reflect on what I have learned in this course, I must admit that I was incredibly unaware of all of the diverse and copious new and emerging technology tools that are available to educators. I remember being introduced to Voicethreads in a prior class and I was fascinated. Participating in this course has compelled me to take notice of technology tools that I had not considered before. In reference to digital gaming, multi-user learning environments, and learning modules, I have a greater understanding of the invaluable skills that these technology tools provide for our students.
Because I am becoming familiar with new and emerging technology and am willing to experiment and utilize these tools in my classroom, I believe that my experiences can be extremely influential for encouraging support from my colleagues and administrators for leading change in my school district. Expressing and demonstrating that using technology tools does not have to be more work for the educator. Instead of perceiving the use of technology as taking up valuable time, we need to look at is as making better use of the time that we have to teach new concepts. It is also crucial to enlighten others that employing technology does not discard the importance of the concepts that the students need to learn to pass state graduation tests but it can be utilized to teach the concepts. The most appealing evidence for integrating technology tools is the fact the so much of it is assessable and “free”.
One innovative learning tool that I have become very interested in and have grown to be an advocate for is digital gaming. Digital gaming “is not just another in the long line of passing fads (or short-term opportunities) in educational technology. It is, rather, a real key to helping our students understand the world” (What Works in Public Education, 2010). As with any new strategy being introduced, planning and implementing of any digital game used to enrich learning must be strategically applied. The rules and expectations must be established, teams or partners must be organized, but most importantly, the educator’s role must be considered. As educators, we need to discontinue being just the information giver and begin to guide our students as they learn.
There has been a great deal of research done that supports learning through technology. A recent study completed by the U. S. Department of Education indicated that “that successful technology-rich schools generate impressive results for students, including improved achievement; higher test scores; improved student attitude, enthusiasm, and engagement; richer classroom content; and improved student retention and job placement rates” (Technology’s Impact on Learning, 2005).
I need to consider the fact that I need to not just share my ideas with my colleagues regarding technology but to elucidate my knowledge to my administrators. I can demonstrate different tools and explain the benefits of employing them in the classroom. I can begin to research avenues for funding through grants and initiate grant proposals. Using the knowledge that I have gained throughout this course, I should be able to provide credible and valuable evidence of support for the integration of technology tools such as digital gaming in school learning environments.
References
Technology’s Impact on Learning. (2005). NSBA. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html
What Works in Public Education. (2010). Eutopia. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from www.edutopia.org/computer-simulations-virtual-learning.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
