I've mentioned a few times throughout this journey into the tech world that I struggle with using technology in PE. My first priority has always been to get the kids moving as much as possible. Throughout this course, I felt like I was able to dig deeper into many of the tech tools that were introduced. I was familiar with many of the tools, but I was able to enhance my learning and figure out ways to adapt the tools into my PE classes. The tools presented in this course allowed me to not only work through some of my struggles, but problem solve my reservations. The assignments/modules that I found most beneficial were:
- Module 6-Growing Professionally in the Digital World
- Module 7-Managing Devices in the Classroom
- Assignment-Trends in Technology Research Paper
I have always been pretty active on social media, but it was more for entertainment and keeping up with friends. Once I started taking classes through USF, I found a whole professional world full of information and ideas for teachers. Professionally, I am most active on Twitter. I have found more people willing to share ideas and respond to questions than any other platform. This course helped me find the ideas from other sources outside of the PE world. The assignment for Module 6 we explored PLNs through Twitter. It was very interesting to see how my classmates structure their classrooms and the information they were willing to share. I gained a wealth of knowledge scrolling through their tweets and retweets. I will admit to having some tunnel vision when scrolling through Twitter. If it doesn't pertain to PE, I usually pass it by. This assignment forced me to take a look at other disciplines and see how I can use their ideas in my class. It really pulled me out of my comfort zone. An article that stuck with me in this module was from the ITSE website "How to become a connected educator". On the page was a really cool infographic which describes all about being a connected educator but in bite size pieces. I am the type of learner that wants the main ideas and then I can piece them together on my own. The infographic in this article does just that. It breaks down the main ideas and how to become a connected educator. It was refreshing to see that not every main idea was tech based. They suggested joining a book club and attending expos or edcamps which give a personal feel to being connected to other educators.
Module 7 helped me in more ways than I care to count. I have always prided myself on my classroom management. I'm fair and consistent and my students rarely mess around because they are too busy having fun. However, we were asked to take a look at our device management skills and that was a hard pill to swallow. I am terrible at device management and tend to use the excuse that it's because I'm in PE and it's "hard". Our class resources had an article from Ulearning called "7 Tools to Help You Manage Digital Devices in the Classroom" which gave tips on how to figure out classroom management with a device rich classroom. I really like the part where they suggest to keep everything academic. Being in the digital age, it's so easy for the students to check their notifications before going on to the task at hand. In the article the explain by having the expectation for devices to be used for academic purposes should be the first line of defense when managing devices. Being consistent with this expectation should significantly lower the need for non-academic use of devices. I need to be more consistent with this part of device management in PE.
Finally, our assignment Trend in Technology Research paper opened me up to the world of ITSE and SAMR. From taking the previous classes, I had prior knowledge on both, however, the research paper allowed me to further dive into the background of ITSE and SAMR and find out how they came to be. I try to follow the SAMR model the best that I can. I can definitely see how my classes have transitioned from substitution to augmentation. My next step is to move into modification and redefinition. It's going to be a challenge, but that is going to be my goal for next school year. The ITSE standards have helped me to be more aware of how I am teaching. I like that there are standards for educators, not just for students. I am able to mold my teaching to help create a 21st Century Learner.
I have now completed the entire EdTech program. I am very excited to start on this journey with my teaching. I have been able to collaborate with different teachers from different districts and have used their insights in my own teaching. Moving forward, I plan on using many of the tools and ideas gained from this program. I am looking into getting the technology endorsement through ISBE. I am trying to make myself more marketable since the world of PE is very touch and go. I am very thanful for the opportunity to take these courses and learn from amazing educators! Good luck to all throughout your journey!
Module 7 helped me in more ways than I care to count. I have always prided myself on my classroom management. I'm fair and consistent and my students rarely mess around because they are too busy having fun. However, we were asked to take a look at our device management skills and that was a hard pill to swallow. I am terrible at device management and tend to use the excuse that it's because I'm in PE and it's "hard". Our class resources had an article from Ulearning called "7 Tools to Help You Manage Digital Devices in the Classroom" which gave tips on how to figure out classroom management with a device rich classroom. I really like the part where they suggest to keep everything academic. Being in the digital age, it's so easy for the students to check their notifications before going on to the task at hand. In the article the explain by having the expectation for devices to be used for academic purposes should be the first line of defense when managing devices. Being consistent with this expectation should significantly lower the need for non-academic use of devices. I need to be more consistent with this part of device management in PE.
Finally, our assignment Trend in Technology Research paper opened me up to the world of ITSE and SAMR. From taking the previous classes, I had prior knowledge on both, however, the research paper allowed me to further dive into the background of ITSE and SAMR and find out how they came to be. I try to follow the SAMR model the best that I can. I can definitely see how my classes have transitioned from substitution to augmentation. My next step is to move into modification and redefinition. It's going to be a challenge, but that is going to be my goal for next school year. The ITSE standards have helped me to be more aware of how I am teaching. I like that there are standards for educators, not just for students. I am able to mold my teaching to help create a 21st Century Learner.
I have now completed the entire EdTech program. I am very excited to start on this journey with my teaching. I have been able to collaborate with different teachers from different districts and have used their insights in my own teaching. Moving forward, I plan on using many of the tools and ideas gained from this program. I am looking into getting the technology endorsement through ISBE. I am trying to make myself more marketable since the world of PE is very touch and go. I am very thanful for the opportunity to take these courses and learn from amazing educators! Good luck to all throughout your journey!
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