Hello and welcome! I am Sara, a current
student at Peru State College. I am a senior but won’t graduate until Spring
2021. Great things take time. To get the most out of my classes, I have decided
to take my time. I am also a mother of two wonderful boys. Dominic is 19 and a United
States Marine (Hoorah!). My youngest, Leland, is 4. I currently substitute in
ESU 4 and work part-time at the Henry Doorly Zoo. I am part of a program there
called Sleeping Bag Safaris. Guests stay overnight and go on tours of the zoo.
As far as technology, I am always learning and
studying ways to use tech efficiently. One piece of tech that I just can’t seem
to work out is a digital agenda. I am much better with going simple, writing my
assignments in a planner and checking them off. Oh, the joy of each checkmark!
Last year PSC updated the dry erase boards to
smart boards. This was great as it gave me experience with a new technology
that I had not explored. While subbing, the teacher’s room had a smartboard.
It was terrifying when I could not get it to work. While doing my eighty-hour practicum,
my cooperating teacher had a game that was similar to candy land that kids
played as a review. It was so cool! I hope that through this course I can learn
how to do that. Create a game board with digital pieces that the class can use.
This was beyond just a quizlet. My goal upon completion of this course is to effectively
utilize and grow my tool kit of technology. I want to move beyond one or two go-to tech ideas. I would also like resources to continue learning how to
incorporate technology as technology changes.
For future reference:
This video shows the importance of using technology for
students. I especially the language about integration. You don’t have to be
gifted with computers as long as you try at your skill level. A question to consider
is, can technology improve the lesson? Most importantly technology allows students
to move at their own pace. This creates flexible learning.
This source has blog examples. Blogs are a great way to
reach students, parents, and colleges.
I never considered mentors or resources as an environmental
influence that can cause harm or help. Another point that struck me was
providing experiences that promote independent and divergent learning. Learning
is not a one-size-fits-all but more of shoes that can be customized. Finally,
the true importance of engaging in real-world problems and solving them with
authentic answers. We often hear in education classes the importance of drawing
learning back to real-world issues but perhaps, it’s time to shift that
thinking to beginning with the problem and asking for answers.
Happy Learning!
