Final Reflection

As I think back to the beginning of this semester, I remember reading the modules and feeling intimated by some of the assignments. I had been using technology in my classroom, but I had no idea of all the different apps available. This course gave me so much knowledge of all the different types of apps and tools I could use with the students. After taking this course, I feel more comfortable teaching with technology and implementing new apps. Not everything was fun; there were times when I felt frustrated with a program and had a hard time completing my assignments. My biggest take away from this course is that teaching and learning can be fun when you integrate technology into your lessons!

 Tools That Excited Me The Most:

• Podcasts
• Screencasts
• Youtube, Animoto & QR Codes

I was very excited to use these tools. This summer, I had a job interview for a librarian position, and I was able to use what I learned from this course for my lesson. They asked me to present a seven-minute library lesson. I was able to create a google slide presentation where I would be using podcasts for summarizing. I introduced the book, activities, and how to use Anchor podcast. I also included a podcast of my son summarizing the book I had selected. My son had fun recording himself and listening to his voice. I can imagine how my students will feel about this activity. Using screencast was extremely helpful this last semester when we were teaching from home. I was able to record lessons, activities, and provide accommodations with this program. Animoto was also fun to use. I had never used it before, but it was easy to navigate. I will also have the students create book trailers using Animoto.

Tools That Were Difficult For Me:

• Cartoons & Comics
• Infographics

The tool that frustrated me the most was infographics. I had a hard time using the programs and creating my infographic. I honestly didn't even know what an infographic was before this assignment. I always saw them as posters. I don't know if I felt this way because I was under a lot of pressure working on my portfolio and making sure I would finish all the assignments. I will continue using it to make sure I get more familiar with this tool and teach it to teachers and students. I also had a bit of a hard time using Cartoons & Comics. I was able to create them, but I had a hard time downloading my comics. Every time I would try to download from Fotojet and Pixton, it asked me to pay for a plan. I could not figure out why this was happening, but I had to take screenshots of my comics to turn in my assignment. I know that this is an excellent tool for students since most of them enjoy reading comics, but I need to continue practicing so I could teach them how to create comics.   

Tools That Will Benefit The Students:

• Podcast
• Cartoon & Comics
• QR Codes

The tools that I believe will benefit my students are podcasts, cartoons and comics, and QR codes. I plan to create lessons using these different tools. With podcasts, I plan to have book discussions, reinforce reading skills, and listen to educational podcasts. Students can talk about the characters, give a summary of the story, or even talk about the different adaptions of a story using podcasts. Comics and Cartoons can also be very beneficial for students. Many students do not enjoy reading or writing, and having them creating comics can help them appreciate those skills. The use of QR codes will help students save time, avoid frustration, and be engaged in their work.

Digital Reflection: