Reflective Statement
Standard: International Society For Teaching in Education (ISTE) Standard 3: Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
As a future educator, the importance of experience in the field of education can be extremely educational and rewarding! This project allowed me to look more in depth into my practicum, where I have been placed in first-grade. Within completing project 4, I have reflected on different forms of technology I have observed and different ways I could use technology in my future classroom!
“Advances in technology and interactive media rapidly are transforming how we communicate and use information in our homes, offices, and early childhood settings” (NAEYC, 2012, p.1). This statement is extremely important for educators as well as future educators to understand. Teachers are no longer relying on traditional textbooks to teach their students; they are incorporating technology. For teachers to understand that communication has changed from when they were students, is crucial for teachers to grasp to help their students thrive in their class. Due to the fact that technology is always improving, this gives educators the ability to help their students advance by integrating it into their classroom and making sure to support diverse learners.
The fourth project, “Practicum,” is made of two major parts: Digital Storytelling Night and My Practicum Learning Experience. The Digital Storytelling Night, encouraged and challenged us to create an example of a night where families, students and staff could come together and create a product of Voicethread. Having the community come together, teachers are able to learn about their students’ families. “This background information helps us provide meaningful, relevant, and respectful learning experiences for each child and family” (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). Not only will this help teachers learn about their students, but their students will learn more skills with technology! The National Association for the Education of Young Children (2012) suggests that, it is important to allow children to gain experience with “web-based technologies [that] allow the child to be the producer of the technology.” Giving students the opportunity to experiment with technology and create a product to share is a perfect experience.
The second part, My Practicum Learning Experience, is where we are able to share about how technology is used in our placements by our host teachers. Spending 6.5 hours in a 1st grade classroom every Monday, gives me time to absorb different ways my teacher uses technology. It is so key that future educators have experience and “exposure to real classrooms, teachers, and children, and the opportunity to observe strategies for technology use and integration” (Donohue and Schomburg, 2015, p. 44). Although my host teacher doesn’t keep up on the iPads or Chromebooks, she incorporates technology in different ways. I think it's great that not all teachers are doing the same thing, because it gives us, practicum students, different experiences to share and learn about.
Project 4 was a great way to help me think about numerous ways technology could be incorporated into my future classroom. I was able to create a sample voicethread as well as an iMovie to show how I was able to use "a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for [myself] and others" (ISTE, 2017). Between the tools that I have personally experienced with in prior projects, tools I have observed in practicum, and in conversation with classmates from different practicums, I have a variety of ways I can incorporate technology in the lives of my future students.
As a future educator, the importance of experience in the field of education can be extremely educational and rewarding! This project allowed me to look more in depth into my practicum, where I have been placed in first-grade. Within completing project 4, I have reflected on different forms of technology I have observed and different ways I could use technology in my future classroom!
“Advances in technology and interactive media rapidly are transforming how we communicate and use information in our homes, offices, and early childhood settings” (NAEYC, 2012, p.1). This statement is extremely important for educators as well as future educators to understand. Teachers are no longer relying on traditional textbooks to teach their students; they are incorporating technology. For teachers to understand that communication has changed from when they were students, is crucial for teachers to grasp to help their students thrive in their class. Due to the fact that technology is always improving, this gives educators the ability to help their students advance by integrating it into their classroom and making sure to support diverse learners.
The fourth project, “Practicum,” is made of two major parts: Digital Storytelling Night and My Practicum Learning Experience. The Digital Storytelling Night, encouraged and challenged us to create an example of a night where families, students and staff could come together and create a product of Voicethread. Having the community come together, teachers are able to learn about their students’ families. “This background information helps us provide meaningful, relevant, and respectful learning experiences for each child and family” (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). Not only will this help teachers learn about their students, but their students will learn more skills with technology! The National Association for the Education of Young Children (2012) suggests that, it is important to allow children to gain experience with “web-based technologies [that] allow the child to be the producer of the technology.” Giving students the opportunity to experiment with technology and create a product to share is a perfect experience.
The second part, My Practicum Learning Experience, is where we are able to share about how technology is used in our placements by our host teachers. Spending 6.5 hours in a 1st grade classroom every Monday, gives me time to absorb different ways my teacher uses technology. It is so key that future educators have experience and “exposure to real classrooms, teachers, and children, and the opportunity to observe strategies for technology use and integration” (Donohue and Schomburg, 2015, p. 44). Although my host teacher doesn’t keep up on the iPads or Chromebooks, she incorporates technology in different ways. I think it's great that not all teachers are doing the same thing, because it gives us, practicum students, different experiences to share and learn about.
Project 4 was a great way to help me think about numerous ways technology could be incorporated into my future classroom. I was able to create a sample voicethread as well as an iMovie to show how I was able to use "a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for [myself] and others" (ISTE, 2017). Between the tools that I have personally experienced with in prior projects, tools I have observed in practicum, and in conversation with classmates from different practicums, I have a variety of ways I can incorporate technology in the lives of my future students.
References:
Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds. (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/dap
Donohue, C. & Schomburg, R. (2015). Chapter 4. Teaching with Technology: Preparing Early Childhood Educators for the Digital Age. In C. Donohue (Ed.), Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years (p. 36-50). New York & London: Rougtledge.
ISTE, (2017). International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Educators. Retrieved February 11, 2018 from www.iste.org/standards.aspx.
National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. (2012, January). Technology and interactive media as tools for early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8.
Retrieved February 8th, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children.
Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds. (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Retrieved July 20, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/dap
Donohue, C. & Schomburg, R. (2015). Chapter 4. Teaching with Technology: Preparing Early Childhood Educators for the Digital Age. In C. Donohue (Ed.), Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years (p. 36-50). New York & London: Rougtledge.
ISTE, (2017). International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Educators. Retrieved February 11, 2018 from www.iste.org/standards.aspx.
National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. (2012, January). Technology and interactive media as tools for early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8.
Retrieved February 8th, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children.
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