Professional Thoughts

I think I have become much more comfortable with the idea of bringing technology and activities involving technology into the classroom. I have had a lot more exposure to ideas for doing this over the entire course. I can use learning experiences I have designed or been inspired by and I know where to find new ones if I choose. I also have a much better grasp on how to choose what experiences I think will be most valuable. Knowing that I can use the ISTE standards and others to evaluate different learning experiences is very reassuring. I feel much more prepared to integrate technology into my future classroom. I feel a lot more confident answering questions related to technology and teaching after the course. I would answer a question about keeping up to date on technology by discussing resources I'm familiar with, teachers I would talk to, and my own experiences experimenting with technologies. When it comes to differentiating instruction with technology, I would mention my flexi...

Excited: I'm very interested in the idea of building my teacher brand! I've already considered what I want to do with this blog when the course is over. I have a lot of thoughts on education and ideas from my Teaching Ideas document. I think that I have some interesting ideas and could use them as a way to interest others. I'm also excited to try other methods of building my brand that I'm not as familiar with. Worrisome: I think I'm most worried about the uncertainty I'm headed into when it comes to my landing spot's level of technology. I also don't know my colleagues level of comfort with technology. Although I have some goals and hopes for where I teach, I'm obviously not certain of where I will start teaching. I actually feel pretty comfortable with lower levels of technology as I think I'll be able to make a classroom function without too much. On the other hand, I feel like technology could potentially be overwhelming in an environment I...

Is computational thinking only important for math and science classes? No, although computational thinking might shine in a math or science environment, these skills are universal and can be used in nearly any setting. When given the opportunity, students can find creative ways to use technology and this sort of thinking in different classes, in fact, they might be more motivated to bring these skills over into unique environments as it gives them different problems to solve. In addition, some aspects of computational thinking are necessary for any part of education. Looking at data, creating models, and different methods of problem-solving are skills you want to bring to every  classroom. Is design thinking really that different from other problem-solving methods? Yes! Design thinking is a more open and free method to solving problems. As opposed to other methods that might constrain students to one solution or one perspective, design thinking looks to incorporate multiple perspec...