Reflection 1
Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it
Focus Area 2.6.1: Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students
Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it
Focus Area 2.6.1: Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students
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It is amazing to me how much technology has transformed our lives. Do you ever notice that you check your phone a million times a day (a little exaggeration), you make a tweet, send emails, and take pictures of your pets and what you had for dinner?. It has taken over our lives, but for a teacher it becomes an integral part for effective teaching and student learning. However, using ICT for teaching will not always provide learning opportunities if you see its a learning outcome and not as a tool (Simmons & Hawkins, 2009). During my pracs if I saw an interactive board or some iPads I jumped at the opportunity to use them. I noticed my year 2 class didn't have an organised system for allocating the students' jobs in the classroom, so I thought it would be fun (with permission) to create one with ‘superhero jobs’ using Smart Notebook (my original ICT resource). I noticed that the students enjoyed having responsibilities that incorporated superheroes which relates to their world. Using the movie maker app on the IPad to film the students doing a news reports for English was such a fun yet some times frustrating app to use. I had no idea how to use it!. It not only linked to the English KLA, but it expanded learning opportunities for the students to develop communication skills, cooperation and confidence (Gibbs, 1995). I have learnt that having a go at something new and unfamiliar can be daunting, but sometimes you got to risk it for the biscuit, no risk no reward! I used many online resources to support the content being taught such as Virtual Volcanoes and interactive math games. Just last week I used a fraction online game called Fraction Jeopardy, it was like we were on a game show, but unfortunately without the money. I not only wanted to use ICT for presentation of my lessons but I wanted the students to come up to the Smart Board and interact with it. The students absolutely enjoyed these, especially the students who were rarely involved and were always quiet. This made me so happy as it is a goal of mine for future teaching. I want to inspire students to use ICT to raise awareness, start conversations, make a difference and look for answers to their questions. 384 words |