Reflection is done by looking into the past and

equipping oneself for the future

As technology becomes more advanced and digital natives develop a higher appreciation
for technology, it will become inevitable that integrating technology in every aspect of the
learning process will increase. Therefore it is important that teachers become more comfortable in
adapting to this change and become better teachers and co- learners in integrating technology in
education.
The learning experience has been quite beneficial and I have grown from the information
retained. During my time in ducational Technology class I was taught to use a variety of web
based and computer based tools in some very creative ways. In the first class I was introduced to
!o"i, and this was used to introduce the class to the lesson. After been introduce to this very
hands on and interactive way of teaching a lesson I began to imagine different ways of utili#ing
this tool in my classroom. This tool would definitely bring a class to life and gain and retain
attention while transitioning to a different tool. $hildren have always been drawn to animation
and to see their creation come to life would be of ma%or help in exercising and demonstrating
creativity.
&choology was another web- based tool that we had to create an account for. This
particular tool was of ma%or importance because it was used as means of communicating
assignments for class. This tool was also used for sharing resources and as an assessment tool for
grading assignments and providing instant feedbac". 'ere we are awarded for completing tas"s
and we were also able to communicate with our lecturer and collaborate with peers in doing many
assignments thus eliminating the other expensive methods. The lecturer designed a learning
experience and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximi#e content
learning, develop "nowledge s"ills and attitudes. (International &ociety for Technology in
ducation, )**+ ,.&tudents were also required to reflect on each class and share this in &choology
, The lecturer therefore promoted student reflection using the collaborative tool (&choology , to
reveal and clarify students conceptual understanding and thin"ing, planning and creative process.
(International &ociety for Technology in ducation, )**+,.
Another tool that was taught in class was the computer based recording which I had
"nowledge of before but it was a great way to have the "nowledge reinforced. Though some of
the computers required a mic for the recording we were instructed in steps and given
demonstrations of how to use such a tool thus lecturer demonstrated that she had "nowledge of
technology and how to transfer the "nowledge to situations. &he also demonstrated how to create
a brochures using -icrosoft .ublisher which was quite interesting. /einforcement of all lessons
was ensured through assignments posted on &choology. I also learnt how to create a .odcast, I
have always heard the term podcast but I was clueless to the positives of having a .odcast. This is
a great way of helping students to understand and use technology in an interactive way.
$reating a movie in -icrosoft movie ma"er was quite challenging but it was worth my
time. I was made cogni#ant of the fact that I could also create a movie using -icrosoft
.ower.oint. I was shown how to do so and then instructed to utili#e my creativity in ma"ing a
movie or .ower.oint or even a brochure in any area of my speciali#ation and on the topic
emergent trends. 0e also had to utili#e these tools along with other tools we were taught about
such as Toondoo, .odcast, 0ebquest, 0i"i and .u##lema"er.com. These tools gave us a creative
edge and we were given the opportunity to choose these tools when we had to do our
presentation1 team teaching. Though we had the freedom to choose the above tools we had to
evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific
tas"s (International &ociety for Technology in ducation, )**+,.
2f all the classes the one that grabbed my attention was that of hyper lin"ing, indeed this
was something new to me and quite complex at first. I have always thought of hyper lin"ing as
complex however after that session I reali#ed that it was quite simple. This was demonstrated in
.ower.oint and I was taught how to ma"e a 3eopardy game using hyper lin"ing. It was also
demonstrated to us that .ower.oint can also be made in 4oogle docs and we were also shown
how to share files using 4oogle Docs and this was how me and my group members
communicated and made alterations to documents1 assignments without having to meet. This tool
also helped us to collaborate, interact and publish out assignment. This is very important given the
fact that students are able to save time and even money while engaging in a group assignment.
This also motivates students by allowing them to interact with a tool (computer, they don5t mind
using the whole day.
The classes didn5t always go according to plan given that some students were not as
technologically savvy as some. -ost of the web-based tools required signing up for an account
and the internet was not always available. I would therefore recommend that the lecturer provide
on the outline a list of web-based tools and instructions on how to sign up and ma"e it a
requirement to do so before attending classes. .rovide step by step instructions on how to use
both computer and web based tools after the lesson is taught. &ome students were unable to ma"e
podcasts in class due to the lac" of microphones thus if it was possible to source these tools
through sponsorships. This would ma"e the experience a bit more meaningful to those who don5t
have internal or external mics at home, and better for those who are tactile learners and need the
direct assistance from the experts in the class.
I have learnt that having "nowledge of technological tools and applying it to the classroom
can be very effective. &tudents are willing to participate in an engaging lesson than in a 6chal"
and tal"7 lesson. Technology can be applied to a lesson geared towards teaching visual,
"inesthetic, or auditory learners. I have gathered a great deal in integrating technology in lessons
and I am very enthusiastic about using technology thus after being introduced to the !o"i I
utili#ed it in my lesson while on teaching practicum and the result was great. 8earning to integrate
technology in our lesson and putting what we have gathered to practice was really a productive
%ourney. I will certainly "eep building on the "nowledge that I have gathered from this %ourney
and I will apply it to all the lessons that I possibly can. Technology is very important in this day
and age and is being applied to all aspects of life and as teachers we should be equipping
ourselves to teach these digital natives in a manner that appeals to them %ust to ensure that they
learn.
Reference
International &ociety for Technology in ducation ()**+,. I&T &tandards. /etrieved on -ay 9,
)*:9 from http;11www.iste.org1docs1pdfs1)*-:9<I&T<&tandards-T<.D=.pdf