Final Reflection on 811

I really believe that I have learned that there is a very big difference between integrating technology and learning WITH the integration of technology. By utilizing several different effective teaching strategies within the technology (such as scaffolding or simulation and porblem-solving), the students are much more likely to be engaged in the learning and put that knowledge into long-term memory.

The web-based technology that I looked at and then created made me think about what would be best for my situation, and then I developed a plan to integrate a recovery program for new students coming into the district in the middle of the year. This technology plan for the Spanish program is going to be extremely beneficial for the department. With my evaluation skills of technology as well as using student feedback, we will be able to create this recovery program and it will be very successful. Creating the recovery program in the Spanish Department is my new long-term goal.

I've met my personal goals for this class, but not overall. I think I have so much more to learn either on my own or within a classroom seeting with best practices in technology integration. I'm excited and looking forward to it immensly!

Internet-Based Learning Environments

“Every Michigan student will have meaningful technology-enabled learning opportunities based on research and best practice that include virtual learning experiences.”


Students in grades 6 - 12 need to have 20 hours of online experience before they graduate. It states that the students will, "become familiar with a key means of increasing their own learning skills and knowledge. It will also prepare them for the demands that they will encounter in higher education, the workplace, and in personal life-long learning. While students informally develop technology skills and gain experience through their media-rich lives, an online learning experience will require them to complete assignments, meet deadlines, learn appropriate online behavior, and effectively collaborate with others in an instructional setting." Basically: they need to get ready for the real world with ever-changing demands and new technologies. 


Recently, I was discussing with my world language colleague how we could create and utilize one of these technologies in the classroom that qualify as an online experience: The Electronic Portfolio. 


In the state of Michigan, they recently decided that students have to have 2 years (or the equilvalent) of a World Language. However, they absolutely have no idea what this entails, such as one state exam to pass out of this, or will the district decide how to prove that they've had this experience? We want to be prepared and expect the unexpected. 


We are planning to create an online portfolio for the students that we would maintain from grades K-2 and then would begin updating with their own work at the 3rd grade level. They would maintain this until their last language class. We are still working out the details and are having an issue with how we would house each student's work and progress. Technology is evolving so quickly that we are afraid they would create a portfolio in Kindergarten (well, we would) and then by 3rd grade we'd have to switch programs. 


To create these projects that would be available on their electronic portfolios, we would use different types of strategies. We could teach so many different topics and benchmarks, such as using simulation and problem solving to teach weather in Latin America and create a vlog to post on their portfolio to showcase their progress. Through scaffolding, we could create Wikis to teach about culture and have students in other countries contribute to the learning experience by using the Wiki as well. We could discuss things like food, music, hobbies, and past times and we could break down negative attitudes from the get-go! It would cover an entire Michigan World Language Standard (Culture). 


Many Web 2.0 technologies would be simple to integrate meaningfully. I think it would be easy to integrate a lot of the things that they recommend in the Michigan Companion Document, however, as I've read amongst my peers, WebQuests would be difficult to integrate simply because they take a lot of time to make quality Quests and there aren't many out there that are worthy. 

Web 2.0 Technologies?

Web 2.0 technology has definitely used some instructional strategies better than others. It's actually quite interesting to me to look in-depth at this simply because I am so used to seeing these things and know instantly if the strategy is working or not - if I am learning or not.


For example, I might use deductive reasoning with blogs in the classroom because I can give the rule and then add the example - and then many other people can add examples too, in the comments. I think that I learn best from comments on blogs because you can go so in depth with others. This would also work great with simulation and problem solving. Again, the comments section is so incredibly powerful when using a blog. 


I'm not sure if any instructional strategies wouldn't work for a blog in the classroom. It really has to fit the audience. If there are students who might learn best with deductive reasoning, and then others wtih inductive reasoning - so be it. The educator should really know how ot utilize all of these strategies or shouldn't be using a blog in the first place!

I think that blogs could be used in my classroom in a variety of ways. It could be used for updates for parents who want to check in on homework assignments. It could also be used to blog to the community as to what happens in the classroom and interesting ideas for speaking Spanish at home. Finally, the one thing that I really enjoy doing is having students learn about culture through a blog. this summer the students will be able to follow along as I embark on my 'real' journey to Latin America as we go about saving the rainforest and families along the way (clearly there is more to the story) and students will learn in a fun environment about Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, etc. 


Finally, as I said before, there are Web 2.0 technologies that may not support an instructional strategy very well. However, if there were limited Web 2.0 technologies in your district, there are some reasons to use it to give your students a more engaging experience. Except, what if it's difficult to implement your subject matter with those technologies, like teaching math facts with a blog? I think that the answer is that you really have to plan out what you're doing. You can't just throw something together and think it's going to work. Ideas have to be well-thought through.