Blog Assignment # 16 (Final Reflection)

Final Reflection

When I graduate, I will be teaching high school history. As a teacher I will use Project Based Learning (PBL) in my classroom. I believe PBL is the best way to teach students because it not only promotes independent thinking but also creativity. By using PBL students will be engaged and excited about learning. Also, by using PBL, students will learn problem solving skills instead of burp back education.

Not only will I Teach PBL, but I will also use many other tools in my classroom. Using technology tools will enhance my students' projects and learning experiences. Some of these tools include iPads, E-readers, laptops, smartboards, Blogger, iCurio, and Podcasts.

I will use iPads in my classroom because they have all the tools that a desktop computer has, but can be carried around by students. This allows students to have endless knowledge at their fingertips. I will also use E-readers in my classroom because they allow students to have all their books on one device as well as take notes directly on the E-reader. I also want to use them because it is cheaper for the school and the students to download books than it is to buy a hard copy book.

I will also be using Blogger in my classroom. Blogger allows students to set up an post on their own blog page. I think this is an important tool because it allows students to have their ideas and projects seen and heard from people around the world. iCurio will also be a tool I use in my classroom because it allows students to safely research online without me having to look over their shoulder.

I believe on of the most important tool I will use in my classroom is a Smartboard. Smartboards allow teachers to have interactive activities on the board. Smartboards also givesstudents access to the internet, where they can play videos. Smartboards can even allow Facetime chats with professionals from all over the world.

My classroom will be a place students cannot wait to get to. It will be a place where they can express their opinions, be encouraged to ask questions, and be able to share their work with people all over the world. Students will not leave my class with only historical dates memorized, instead they will leave my class with skills they will use for the rest of their life.

What I would Change From the Start of the Semester

In my first blog post I wrote about what my dream school would look like. Reading it now it makes me laugh. I said in Blog Assignment #1 that it would be important to have comfortable chairs for the students to sit, because then they would be more focused. I now know it is not the chairs that keep the students focused but the way in which a teacher teaches. I still agree that I want my students to know that "no matter what their grade is, they all have something to offer that the world can benefit from". I believe as educators we should encourage students dreams-not tear them down. I would add to this post that I want my students to understand that sometimes the questions we ask are more important than the answers. After taking EDM 310 I realize that in school students are not taught or even encouraged to ask questions. In my classroom this will change! In my first blog post I said "I would have the students share their questions and answers with the class". I now believe "Why stop witt just the class when the students can have their own blog page and share their questions and answers with the world.?"

In my first blog post under "tools" I would use I will admit that I purposely left out using Smartboards. To be honest, I had never used a Smartboard until EDM310 and thought they were just a more complicated version of a dry erase board. I now see how wrong I was and using a Smartboard is now one of the tools I look forward to using the most when I start teaching. I still agree with what I wrote for The Role Students will play in my first blog post. I stated that "Students would play the leading roll in my classroom, and I would act as their guide." The students would be able to let their creativity, and imagination loose, and I would encourage and support them.



Final Reflection video