Week 4 reflection:

During this week I have been trying to make sure I have completed each section the absolute correct way as well as give the needed time and planning for my third grade class. It has been one of the most time consuming classes so far and I feel like I am taking time away from my young family. I have a wonderful husband that steps in when needed, but when the 2 and 3 year old only want mommy-it is hard to argue with that. 

During the readings and videos this week there were two things that stuck with me. Keeping technology and learning relevant for students and collaboration. Both of these things are not small ideas and not things we as teachers have never heard of. In fact, we all probably had an entire class teaching us about these things, if not more.

Collaboration is something I completely buy into. A quiet classroom makes me think they are probably not thinking about what they are learning. I like to give the students the opportunity to talk about what we learn, ask questions, and try to solve the problems in their own learning groups before letting them move to the computers to look things up, or lastly, turn to me for the answers.

Keeping technology current and relevant for the students is obviously something I believe in as well. I don’t think I would be perusing my education under the title of Leadership in Technology if not. I have used the idea that we have to meet the students in their learning space in order to make them want to learn. If that space is a form of media, we can do that!  I refer my teachers during staff developments I have facilitated to a website that discusses the ”Five things every Student want their teachers to know  (Nielsen, 2011) these include: “1. Socialization is important,  2. Students want to see each other, 3. Students want to see their teacher, 4. Students want you to know them, and 5. Keep it Relevant”. You can see the entire explanation of these at: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/11/five-things-students-want-their.html