Personal Growth Plan 2 CEP 810 Now that the course is over, and with a retrospective look at the goals I initially set, I see positively ‘scary’ results: I wasn’t as knowledgeable as I thought I was. Even worse, now I see myself standing where I stood before taking this course, as there are more courses ahead. So, how has this course changed me? First and foremost, I learnt that one should consider the pedagogical aspect of a particular technology prior to using it. Technology should also target students’ higher thinking skills, and as Brophy describes it in his twelve educational principles, technology should be aligned with the curriculum and assessed each time it is used to decide how fruitful it was and what changes need to be made for future improvements. Teachers should focus on the message to be delivered rather than on the technology used. What’s more, the breadth and depth of technology knowledge depends on the teacher’s needs, so instead of just honing his or her skills in technology, a teacher should fully understand the purpose behind using technology. Finally, unlike what most people think, the didactic method can be very efficient when technology is used appropriately. As far as Internet is concerned, I think every classroom should be equipped with a connection. The new generation is becoming increasingly tech-literate. Depriving a certain society from such a privilege would create a digital divide, which in the long run (or even short run) might lead to global socioeconomic problems, and probably wars (that’s taking it to extremes, but it’s a possibility). All the assignments I submitted exemplify good teaching with technology. In the Excel assignment I submitted, my students would realize how limited the manipulation of data would be if they were to do it on paper. In the PPT assignment, my students would see the beauty and diversity of presenting information more attractively, and therefore more convincingly, if need be. However, my favorite is the Internet-integrated model lesson plan, in which students would have to search for the world’s 10 biggest paper producers. They can imagine themselves the owners of a big distribution chain (which might be the case one day) and try to import paper at minimal cost. From this lesson, students would have learnt to use Internet to serve a financial purpose. They could be introduced to other situations where they would use Internet for personal and educational purposes. All the projects were of great help. The Point/CounterPoint Group Project was very helpful in promoting teamwork and presenting one’s ideas professionally and convincingly. MACUL tips are informative and helpful in analyzing and solving common educational issues. The discussion forums come in handy; you never know when one might post a tip that is the key to one of your problems. I always read them with the hope of finding an answer to my endless enigmas.
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura
Date: November 14, 2008
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Personal Growth Plan 2 CEP 810 As for my goals, I can say that most of them have been met. I can use Microsoft Office for educational purposes. I can subscribe to feeds and RSSs and share information on blogs as well as submit comments. I can even create my own blogs now. I also learnt how to use the appropriate search engine for the right type of information. I will reflect on all the lessons I prepared and change my objectives to include a deeper meaning to the purpose of the lesson, such as that of my Excel activity. Meanwhile, I will brush up on my feeds and RSS subscription skills to keep abreast of the latest technological breakthroughs. I am sure I will have thought up more goals by the time we start the next course. ď Š
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura
Date: November 14, 2008
Page 2