Personal Growth Reflection
-
Upload
jean-claude-aura -
Category
Documents
-
view
213 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Personal Growth Reflection
Personal Growth Reflection CEP 812
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura Date: June 2009 Page 1
“Enough” is not a word that one can use after finishing all 3 Certificate courses. There’s so
much more to do that it’s worth taking a short recess and reflecting upon one’s achievements.
My reflection is two-faceted. One facet has to do with my improvement in the field of
technology, and the other with educational issues. Below is a chart that pretty much summarizes
where I stand so far in educational technology.
Technology Current use Future use Promises Pitfalls
Podcast Students listen to
podcasts of
personal interest
and report verbally
or in writing.
Students will make
their own podcasts to
post on the school’s
website.
High student
engagement,
better academic
achievement,
more realistic
preparation for
the real world,
better classroom
management,
minimization of
the digital
divide.
Convincing the
admin to allow
students to use iPods
and access iTunes.
Online
simulations
Students watch
some online
simulations and
report on them.
Students will make
their own online
simulations.
None
Online
educational
games
Students play them
for educational
purposes.
Students will create
their own repertoire
of online educational
games for quick
access.
Some sites are
blocked. Hard to
match lab schedule
with proper timing
for online games.
MS Office Students use
PowerPoint to for
class presentations
Word to present
written
assignments. They
almost never use
Excel.
Students will learn to
prepare professional
PowerPoint
presentations by
adding audio and
video files. They will
use StAIRs. They will
use Word to address a
real audience such as
the admin or publish
their work in the
school magazine.
None
WebQuests Students go on a
scavenger-like hunt
for info.
Students will work
individually and in
groups to work on
activities that promote
higher-order thinking
skills.
Some sites are
blocked. Internet
access not always
available.
Personal Growth Reflection CEP 812
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura Date: June 2009 Page 2
E-portfolios None Students build their
own E-portfolios and
include all their
academic
achievements.
(Above
promises).
Students’ self-
esteem boosted.
Improved
language
quality.
None
Web pages None Students create their
own web page on
Google Sites and
share their work on
line. Later, they can
publish their own web
page.
(Above
promises). With
a worldwide
audience,
students will
feel the need to
take learning
seriously.
Students need to be
mature enough to
hold responsibility
for the entire group’s
work.
Edublogs Students leave
comments on
existing Edublogs.
Students will create
their own Edublog.
None
I also intend to enhance my tech skills in a variety of ways.
Review all 3 Certificate courses: I will brush up on my existing skills, go over the
material learnt to make sure I haven’t missed out on any important parts, improve my skills
in the technology that I learnt how to implement in the classroom, and visit Atomic
learning to go over some tutorials to reinforce my understanding of the technology that I
am comfortable with as well as new ones I am not very familiar with.
Organize PD sessions: I am planning to give plenty of PD sessions at my school as well as
anywhere else where the teaching staff is interested in developing their technology skills.
This summer, for example, I will be giving a PD session on PowerPoint to a group of
teachers who are complete beginners in technology. If all turns out well, I will try to initiate
them to StAIRs. I’m sure I’ll learn new things as I am presenting these sessions.
Attend PD sessions: I will do my best to attend all the PD sessions offered in my area. I
will also try to subscribe to online PD sessions. I still don’t know how to do it, but I will try
to figure out how so I can attend long distance PD sessions.
Lifelong learning: First of all, I am planning to continue my Master’s in Educational
Technology. Apart from that, I am naturally curious, so I don’t think I will have a problem
learning new things. I have subscribed to feeds through NetVives, most of which are tech
related. This way I keep abreast of the latest educational technology and its implementation
in the classroom. Once I see something I like, I explore it until I become a pro at it.
Personal Growth Reflection CEP 812
Created by: Jean-Claude Aura Date: June 2009 Page 3
Looking back at where I was when I first started the Certificate course, I can’t believe how much
my teaching techniques have improved, as well as my understanding of educational goals and
curriculum alignment. It’s hard to put it all in writing, but I am readier than ever for a more
challenging teaching experience. Something funny though, which depicts the unexpected nature
of events: Since I started the Certificate course, I’ve always wanted to learn movie making and
editing, which I never got round to doing. However, I have learnt so many other things that I
didn’t know existed (Edublogs, WebQuests, TechQuests , podcasts) or that didn’t occur to me
(Web pages, educational games, online simulations). Whatever the case, I look at myself in the
mirror and see a new me.