In collaboration with Sydney Coon and Madelyn VanLiew
Reflective Statement
As a teacher, it is important to reflect on teaching experiences so that students can benefit from instruction and experiences that are most effective. All classroom dynamics are different, so teachers constantly have to reflect and adjust to how their class learns best. It is important for teachers to understand how students learn to be able to teach them effectively and “effective teaching depends on flexible access to rich, well-organized and integrated knowledge from different domains, including knowledge of student thinking and learning, knowledge of subject matter, and increasingly, knowledge of technology” (Koehler, Mishra, 2009). Teachers continuously need to reflect on their teaching practice by getting constructive feedback and self-critiques.
Reflecting on teaching practices goes along with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standard for teachers 1a “set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness” (ISTE, 2018). Educators constantly need to be learning and improving. By collaborating with others and reflecting on experiences, students learning is improved. After our teaching experience, we were able to get constructive feedback from our classmates by using Google Forms. By our classmates being honest, we were able to grow from the experience and learn. Our classmates told us that if we were to implement this again, we should ask the students if they would be okay with presenting their Flipgrid to the entire class.
Our class also told us what they liked about the lesson. The class enjoyed being able to use QR codes and Flipgrid because they were interactive and fun. The class enjoyed using QR codes to match scenarios because it was different than how they usually use QR codes. Before we selected the tools for our lesson, we took the time to evaluate the tools and how they would work in the classroom. It is important that “teachers must take the time to evaluate and select technology and media for the classroom, carefully observe children’s use of the materials to identify opportunities and problems, and then make appropriate adaptations” (NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College, 2012). To make appropriate adaptations, it is beneficial to self-critique as well as hearing constructive feedback.After our teaching experience we each did a self-critique stating our biggest challenges, what was most difficult, and what we might have done differently. We all felt that our lesson was effective and went as planned. By using technology, we were all able to collaborate to create a lesson that was interactive and engaging. We all enjoyed learning about the technology in the classroom and even with our busy schedules we made time to learn new skills. It is stated that “acquiring a new knowledge base and skill set can be challenging, particularly if it is a time-intensive activity that must fit into a busy schedule” (Koehler, Mishra, 2009). As teachers, we will always be learning new skills to incorporate into our lessons. It is then crucial to reflect on the experience to see what can be changed to maximize learning.
With our lesson, we found that it is important to be flexible and be able to adapt quickly. We planned for problems that may occur and had solutions for them. For example, we had all of our website links backed up. A life and career skill is flexibility and adaptability, and it is important for students and teachers to have the skills (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009). By being flexible and being able to adapt, we were able to teach in the most effective way. Reference: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2018). Standards for teachers. Retrieved fromhttp://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators
Koehler, M. & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.
National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC] and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. (2012, January). Technology and interactive media as tools for early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved February 8th, 2016 from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children
ISTE Standards addressed, Learner, "Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning." 1a “set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness.”