Self-Assessment
I realized as I went through this course that I
had not thought about reflection the way in which it was presented. Of course, I had always taken time to think
about the lessons I had taught but only in a superficial way. I would note if an activity went well or not
so well, but I didn’t really think about asking my students to truly reflect on
what they learned. Gerstein (2011) stated,
that her students were “products of a standardized system where they were asked
to memorize standardized information and spit that information out on
standardized tests.” I now understand
why I have had trouble getting my students to understand the concept of
reflection. I have learned that my
students must be taught how to reflect and given cues to help them learn how to
think in that manner. Most importantly,
I have learned that I need to model that type of reflection for them, which in
turn helps me become a more effective teacher.
Learn as a Learner
I like the idea of a group project when I know
that I can choose who is in my group. It
made me nervous to know that the end product must be a site that had very
specific information and must all flow together. I was concerned that it would be difficult to
do because we had six people that don’t even live in the same city. Everything turned out just fine! We used Google Docs to begin the
collaboration process then used Google Hangouts to actually meet together. We all came to the process with different amounts
of technology knowledge, but everyone was able to make contributions. Going through the process of working in a
group has been helpful for me to realize how my students might feel when I put
them into groups.
Lifelong Learning Skills
There have been many things that I have learned
throughout this course, but the most important skill goes back to
reflection. I just never put much
thought into that particular skill, but the more I am required to do it for my
master’s classes, the more I realize how integral it is. Tice (2004) said, “Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the
classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works - a
process of self-observation and self-evaluation.” I’m surprised that it has taken me so long to understand the process,
but I’m glad I have had the opportunity to experience it.
Implementation in the Classroom
There are many Web 2.0 tools that would be very
useful in the classroom no matter what level.
I am just learning more about how to use Google Sites in the classroom,
but I can definitely see how convenient it would be to post my students’ work
that has been digitally created. We are
already using Kidblog to showcase student work and allow for reflection, which
has become a sort of e-portfolio. There is
more than one reason to use an e-portfolio, but, in this case, it allows for
the parents to see what their child is learning and how they are
progressing. It also allows for an
engaging way that the students can reflect.
As Barrett (2005) states, “The purposes and goals for the portfolio,
determine the content” (p. 5). I am
looking forward to utilizing more websites and Web 2.0 tools in my classroom.
References:
Barrett, H. (2005). The reflect
initiative. Researching electronic portfolios and learning engagement,
collaboration, through technology. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://electronicportfolios.org/reflect/whitepaper.pdf
Gerstein, J. (2011, August 16). Where is reflection in the learning process?
Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/where-is-reflection-in-the-learning-process/
Tice, J. (2011, June 15). Reflective teaching: Exploring our own classroom practice.
Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/reflective-teaching-exploring-our-own-classroom-practice
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