Reflecting

Upon reflecting on the knowledge that I have gained from taking my current Walden class, “Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society,” I have realized that I developed technology skills that can be utilized in any class, even Physical Education.  In the past, I would incorporate technology about once or twice per year, but this school year, I have had a renewed enthusiasm to plan learning experiences including technology on a more frequent basis.  Even though, our area is not conducive to integrating technology into every class due to strict activity guidelines, I have integrated technology more than I have in the past.  This is because I am more comfortable designing a blog, a wiki, and even creating a podcast.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and are leaving it with so much information that I can actually use in my PE classes.

As a part of our class, we learned more deeply about the 21^st Century skills.  If I could sum up in one sentence what our goal as an educator should be, I would use Dr. Thornburg’s idea when he stated, “Learning occurs when a mediating influence provides the “spark” to push the learner to the next level of knowledge.”  In doing so, we have to teach 21^st Century skills such as collaboration and integrating technology.  In PE, we are actively collaborating whether it is with one other partner, in a small group, cooperative activities, or competitive activities. These situations are usually learner-centered and I realized through this class, that students want to progress to that next level as Dr. Thornburg stated if given the opportunity. 

I will continue to expand my knowledge in utilizing technology tools in learning experiences by continuing my Walden program in the Integrating Technology Specialization as well as staying abreast of any new tools and skills available for education.  As a requirement of our school district, I will participate in the Technology Assessment each school year.

Over the next two years, I will plan to integrate technology into my learning experiences at least once or twice during a unit.  We see our students one time per week and have strict activity guidelines.  Our units usually last approximately four to six weeks.   I plan to have the students use their computer lab time to accomplish some of the technology goals that relate to the units being taught such as developing a blog or wiki.  I also plan to have more student-directed learning by allowing the students to lead activities and having instant activities as soon as they enter the gym.

In week one, I completed a checklist assessing practices regarding integrating technology.  The two areas that I rarely practiced were having the students share and present information in multiple ways and collaborating with students to explore new technologies and finding out how the tools can be used to solve problems in real world environments.  I have since had students assist me and each other in incorporating a SKYPE lesson into one of our units.  I am currently working on a learning experience where the students develop a blog to display their work.