Personal Growth Reflection CEP 812 “Enough” is not a word that one can use after finishing all 3 Certificate courses. There’s so much more to do that it’s worth taking a short recess and reflecting upon one’s achievements. My reflection is two-faceted. One facet has to do with my improvement in the field of technology, and the other with educational issues. Below is a chart that pretty much summarizes where I stand so far in educational technology.
Technology Current use Podcast Students listen to podcasts of personal interest and report verbally or in writing. Online Students watch simulations some online simulations and report on them. Online Students play them educational for educational games purposes.
MS Office
WebQuests
Promises Pitfalls High student Convincing the engagement, admin to allow better academic students to use iPods achievement, and access iTunes. more realistic Students will make preparation for None the real world, their own online better classroom simulations. management, Students will create minimization of Some sites are their own repertoire the digital blocked. Hard to of online educational divide. match lab schedule games for quick with proper timing access. for online games. Students use Students will learn to None PowerPoint to for prepare professional class presentations PowerPoint Word to present presentations by written adding audio and assignments. They video files. They will almost never use use StAIRs. They will Excel. use Word to address a real audience such as the admin or publish their work in the school magazine. Students go on a Students will work Some sites are scavenger-like hunt individually and in blocked. Internet for info. groups to work on access not always activities that promote available. higher-order thinking skills.
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura
Future use Students will make their own podcasts to post on the school’s website.
Date: June 2009
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Personal Growth Reflection CEP 812 E-portfolios
None
Web pages
None
Edublogs
Students leave comments on existing Edublogs.
Students build their own E-portfolios and include all their academic achievements.
(Above promises). Students’ selfesteem boosted. Improved language quality. Students create their (Above own web page on promises). With Google Sites and a worldwide share their work on audience, line. Later, they can students will publish their own web feel the need to page. take learning Students will create seriously. their own Edublog.
None
Students need to be mature enough to hold responsibility for the entire group’s work.
None
I also intend to enhance my tech skills in a variety of ways. Review all 3 Certificate courses: I will brush up on my existing skills, go over the material learnt to make sure I haven’t missed out on any important parts, improve my skills in the technology that I learnt how to implement in the classroom, and visit Atomic learning to go over some tutorials to reinforce my understanding of the technology that I am comfortable with as well as new ones I am not very familiar with. Organize PD sessions: I am planning to give plenty of PD sessions at my school as well as anywhere else where the teaching staff is interested in developing their technology skills. This summer, for example, I will be giving a PD session on PowerPoint to a group of teachers who are complete beginners in technology. If all turns out well, I will try to initiate them to StAIRs. I’m sure I’ll learn new things as I am presenting these sessions. Attend PD sessions: I will do my best to attend all the PD sessions offered in my area. I will also try to subscribe to online PD sessions. I still don’t know how to do it, but I will try to figure out how so I can attend long distance PD sessions. Lifelong learning: First of all, I am planning to continue my Master’s in Educational Technology. Apart from that, I am naturally curious, so I don’t think I will have a problem learning new things. I have subscribed to feeds through NetVives, most of which are tech related. This way I keep abreast of the latest educational technology and its implementation in the classroom. Once I see something I like, I explore it until I become a pro at it.
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura
Date: June 2009
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Personal Growth Reflection CEP 812 Looking back at where I was when I first started the Certificate course, I can’t believe how much my teaching techniques have improved, as well as my understanding of educational goals and curriculum alignment. It’s hard to put it all in writing, but I am readier than ever for a more challenging teaching experience. Something funny though, which depicts the unexpected nature of events: Since I started the Certificate course, I’ve always wanted to learn movie making and editing, which I never got round to doing. However, I have learnt so many other things that I didn’t know existed (Edublogs, WebQuests, TechQuests , podcasts) or that didn’t occur to me (Web pages, educational games, online simulations). Whatever the case, I look at myself in the mirror and see a new me.
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura
Date: June 2009
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