Part 1

#1 Oh my  gosh…. Nothing like good ole trial and error for me.  That is how I learn!  Even though the podcast application got my feathers ruffled a bit, without having experienced the trials and tribulations of setting it up and actually getting my voice heard on my blogging site, I would never have given that a try. Thankfully, this was a part of the coursework.  I thank you now, but was utterly frustrated for a bit. J I appreciate everyone who responded to my many questions regarding the podcasting issues I experienced.   Seriously, all and all this course helped me tremendously.  I knew I had to do the footwork to learn.  I feel much more competent in the blogging, wiki and podcasting and willing to learn more.

#2  Since having taken this class, a bell has rang.  Now I have a better of understanding as to just how different the kids of today learn as opposed to how I learned throughout my school years.  Technology has so much to do with this.  Technology is in every facet of a student’s world and they seemingly embrace it.  One example, I never have been able to understand is how they could possibly be focusing on math work while listening to music.  Not the soothing meditational music, but the hard core stuff that many of them listen to.  It still puzzles me a bit, but hey, if they are really able to successfully get their math work done in such a manner, than it’s worth letting them listen to their music.  For myself as a teacher, I’ve become more flexible with the students listening to their music as they are doing their homework during the last few minutes of class as long as I do not hear it.

#3  I am still predominantly more teacher-centered than learner centered.  However, we have allowed for more collaboration groups to work on various real-world problems throughout the school year that allow them to communicate, work with their problem solving skills, teamwork, and all students having ownership in parts of the group work.  The group is to hold each accountable for their individual part of the project or activity.  I would say that we have done more real world application group activities this year than in years prior.  And with this group work, we have required them to use pieces of technology to enhance their learning and illustration of their efforts and work.   I would say our classroom is about 35% learner-centered and 65% teacher-centered.   Rome was not built in a day.  Having said that, the learner centered model has taken some getting accustomed to and I do not see math being a subject that can 100% of the time be learner centered.  That’s just my opinion.

#4 I forge ahead with my expansion of knowledge simply by continuing to learn as technology grows and changes as it all too often does.  It seems as if as soon as I’ve mastered something with technology, they have created a better or faster device than the one I have been able t0 successfully master. For instance, the iPhone or the iPad.  Geez, how many models will there be.  It is just like Nike coming out with a new and better version of the Nike Air Max.  Every year, these shoes are supposedly the best yet.  Same holds true with technology.   Our school was awarded a STEM grant that gave the science, vocational and the math department an assortment of high tech technology gadgets.  As soon as we received those, the new models came out.  The new models, of course, did things that the year past models did not do.  In closing with this, we all know that the world is driven by technology and the kids of are the technology age.  Somehow, we must allow them the time to work with the technology components they will be faced with once outside of the high school environment.

One long term goal I would like to have up and running within a two year period would be my own math blogging page for all of my students to have access to.  At this point in time, all blogging sites among many, many other things are “access denied”.  It will take more than just myself to approach the powers that be with this idea.  I must try to sell them on how this can allow me and my students to communicate outside of the class time they have in our class.  I can relate to taking homework home and getting stuck on a problem and having no one to communicate with to help me through it.   This is one way to help those students outside of the classroom.

Another long term goal is simply continuing to use real world activities for collaboration, teamwork and technology usage.  I do not want to use technology for the sake of using it.  I want it to be utilized as an enhancement to the learning of our kids and their success with the math.

Throughout the seven weeks of this class, I and my co-teacher have talked in more detail regarding utilizing group work, real-world activities and more usage of our technology within our Math II classrooms.  The following are strategies that we have implemented more of within the last two month period of time.  Let me go further to say, this is and will continue to be an ongoing strategy to get all students involved and more accountable for their own learning.  These are the strategies we strive to continue to work with:

1.    Model effective and appropriate technology use in my work environment by

using appropriate tools in work processes, such as communication tools,

grading software, and online resources for teaching and assessment

work to promote best practices in technology integration by researching,

2.    work to promote best practices in technology integration by researching,

evaluating, selecting and sharing new tools for classroom instruction

3.     Collaborate with students to explore and evaluate new and emerging

technologies and investigate how these tools can be used to solve problems

in real world environments

4.    Model reflective practices and engage students in activities that promote

self-reflection and self-examination of their own learning

5.    Design instructional activities requiring student collaboration to accomplish a

joint task

6.    Design learning experiences that require students to formulate questions for

inquiry and engage in real-world problem-solving activities