Reflections on EDU 605

Over the course of the class, I learned about a variety of different Web 2.0 tools that I had not experienced before.  I consider myself a fairly tech savvy person and am very comfortable with computers and technology.  However, I will admit that I was unfamiliar with a number of the tools that we used over the course of the class.  I had designed a website eight years ago in an undergraduate class, but I was very impressed with how much web design tools have improved making it easier for the average person to create a more usable and attractive website.  I also enjoyed using the voki and voicethread programs.  They were both incredibly simple to learn and operate.  I was not as comfortable with meograph, especially with the mapping and linking features.  I think that it is a very interesting program, but it does require more time and effort than some others to use effectively.  I was very pleased with the Zunal program.  I had heard about WebQuests but never considered creating one of my own because I always figured that they would be complicated to create.  I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of the site.

I enjoyed reading the blogs and articles on technology tools for the classroom throughout the class.  However, my concern was an overload of information and ideas.  With classroom technologies, I think that sometimes people get so excited about the latest ideas that they never really stop to use something to it's full potential before they move on to the next idea.  I found it difficult at times to wade through the excess of information and ideas floating around the internet.  That is why it was helpful to have specific assignments for the course that required me to explore a limited number of technologies more in depth.  

I think that they most useful tool for my classroom next year will be my classroom website.  I had very positive feedback from the parents that I surveyed and was very encouraged to actually use the site with my class next year.  I have a few updates to make, but I think that it will be a wonderful tool for parent communication.  I was glad to have to take the time to learn some of the tools for my Promethean Board.  We have had them in our classrooms since March, but I was not using it for much more than a projector this year.  I have been able to familiarize myself with some of the more interesting abilities of the board that I hope to use next year.  I am looking into the idea of getting the Classroom Voki program to use next year to work on the speaking and listening standards of Common Core and encourage student discussions in a novel environment.  The biggest obstacle for me in using technology has always been the time needed to learn how to use it effectively in the classroom.  I hope now that I have a few tools that I understand well enough to start moving past just superficial use of technology in my room next year.