CEP 811 Reflection

As another class draws to a close, it is again time to reflect.  CEP 811 has provided a great opportunity for learning.  I was able to gain confidence in my technology skills through the course content and setting.  I am content in my growth this semester, and feel the only thing that limited my growth was the fact that my family was battling sickness for most of the month of April (which took away from my study time).  I am grateful for this assignment, as it forces me to reflect upon my personal learning goals while challenging me to continue setting goals for future growth.

Two of the most important things I have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology are creating barrier-free learning opportunities (through the utilization of UDL Principles) and examples of effective face-to-face strategies to utilize in my classroom.  The UDL Principles are a very helpful tool to measure my lessons against.  This is especially important for me because I tend to have a form of "tunnel vision" sometimes, and struggle to balance integrating innovative technology while including successful teaching strategies (as was apparent as I struggled to complete my StAIR project).  Sometimes I get so focused on providing my students with new and interesting technology that I forget to focus also on solid pedagogy.  Examples of effective face-to-face strategies also provide me with ways to keep my lessons balanced and interesting.

Throughout this course, the integration of web-based technologies helped me think about and evaluate the uses of technology.  I was able to fully immerse myself in the role of the student, which provided me with a useful perspective while working online.  This experience will help me create more effective lessons in the future, both in a traditional classroom and also possibly in an online course format.

During CEP 810, I was required to create a Personal Technology Plan.  My goals for the months of March and April were to create a webpage, explore the possibilities for using classroom response systems, learn to use an online survey generator, and learn to use an online rubric generator.  Serendipity prevailed, and these goals aligned with CEP 811's coursework.

My Personal Technology Plan outlines specific goals for the next several months.  I plan to continue to work on these goals, and when they are completed I will focus on my RSS Feeds in more detail.  For May and June, I will be exploring online content area tools, online digital differentiation tools, online digital citizenship resources, and online storytelling tools.

I am grateful for the opportunity to complete CEP 811.  It has been an interesting and useful course.  I am looking forward to continue on my MSU EduTech journey in the fall.