Reflection of the Course

My Reflection on EEND 677

With every assignment throughout this course I have learned a new strategy on how to implement technology into my instruction.  I learned about the many different digitals tools that I can use to enhance my lessons and promote student engagement.  I learned about how I can incorporate activities that use digital tools like Padlet and Flipgrid so that students share their thoughts through video.  This is appropriate because students will have the option to demonstrate their learning in a different way such as through a performance task.  I learned how to create a Bell Ringer on Seesaw in which I can assign to my students and gather data on what they know on a topic before or after I introduce it.  This will provide me with data of students background knowledge or their understanding of the lesson so much faster. Through a collaboration with a peer, I learned what EdPuzzle is, how she uses it and some ideas of how I can use with my students.  I learned about how I can create a short video on Animoto to introduce a unit by designing individual slides with pictures, video and even music.  At first I was a bit nervous about creating a video in that manner.  It was something that I have never done before.  I was very impressed with how it turned out.  It is something that I will be using to introduce a recycling unit in the next school year.  This video is really going to be useful especially since we might be providing instruction through remote learning.  I have also learned about integrating graphic design and videos without words to encourage student peer discussion and provide visuals for those students with visual preferences.  For those who have auditory preferences I learned how to use a audio recording to share a read aloud.  What a great way to introduce stories so that students use their imagination.  They can then create their own drawing about the audio to share with their peers.  Most of all I learned that their are so many different ways to integrate technology and digital tools to better my practice.  Technology is everywhere and students need to learn how to use it as an educational tool.  Even though I teach prekindergarten, that doesn't mean the little ones are to young to learn how to use these digital tools.  The way I look at it is that the younger they are when they learn the better.  I can model appropriate ways to use technology that will help develop those computional thinking skills now so that they are better prepared when they get to higher grade levels.