Educational Technology Reflective Essay

The art of teaching has several skills attached to it. These are not skills that we gain
over night, but teachers have to develop these skills through extensive practice and
analysis of the 21st century learner. In light of this the words of (Prensky, 2001) are
holding true that Our students have changed radically. Todays students are no longer the
people our educational system was designed to teach. As I willingly accepted the
opportunity to explore educational technology, my darkened state was lit as it was
brought to my attention how technology savvy the 21st century learners are. As a result
the educators have to keep in tuned to effectively teach the students we have today. I am
Sharifa Jones and my motto is I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I
think this motto has helped me through many things in life and also this course this
semester. My philosophy is inspired by David Warlick and I quote we need technology
in every classroom and in every student and teachers hand, because it is the pen and
paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.
Below is a compilation of my overview of this course and my reflection on the course
Educational Technology.
The ISTE NETS standards were implemented for both teachers and students to
ensure best practices through the use of technology. These are standards for learning,
teaching and leading in the digital age. The ISTE's NETS for students are the standards
for evaluating the skills students need to learn effectively and live productively in an
increasingly global and digital world. Our students of today need to be able to use
technology to analyze, learn and more importantly explore. The ISTE NETS for teachers
are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge educators need to teach, work
and learn in an increasingly connected global and digital society. With technology
integration increasing in our society it is very important that educators possess the skills
and behaviours of digital age professionals. These standards for both teachers and
students have led to the implementation and recommended use of many different
technological tools. Some of these tools include: Wiki, Podcast, Blog, Movie Maker,
Webquest, Facebook, Twitter among others.
This semester I have observed, learned about, and implemented numerous effective
computer-based instructional support tools (podcast, digital storytelling, interactive
PowerPoints etc.) and web-based instructional support tools (WebQuest, Blogs etc.)Three
1|P a g e

Educational Technology Reflective Essay

instructional tool were used to create my digital portfolio. A podcast which is considered
to be an audio or video broadcast is distributed over the Internet. It usually has a format
similar to a radio or television show. Because little equipment is needed to record a
podcast and the Internet is used as the distribution medium, virtually anyone can create
one and distribute their thoughts and opinions to the world. While on the other a
webquest is a technological tool that allow students to explore thus developing important
skills such as analytical and critical thinking skills. The movie maker was the third tool
used and this is a software that allows you to create and edit videos that can be used in the
teaching learning process. Teacher and students can create a movie that can be used in the
teaching of a lesson.
The wide variety of technology supported tools that can easily and effectively be
incorporated into a classroom offers every teacher a venue into the millennium world, the
age of web, and the world of our students. The value of todays educators learning to
navigate and teach technology cannot be underestimated. Teachers should be at the
frontline, up-to-date with access to software they can use with their students. As
educators of our nations future leaders, we should encourage and be able to foster the
development of our students use of technology.
Throughout the journey of this course I have come to fully understand and appreciate
children with numerous disabilities and how to effectively assist students with these
disabilities. Many of these disabilities I never knew about or had the wrong interpretation
of. I got a very clear understanding of the steps needed to get assistance for these
children. In this class I have learned new ways to incorporate technology into my future
classroom. I have learned how to engage students more, how to make things easier for me
as a teacher and for parents, and how to use technology to help students learn in different
ways. I have learned how to operate many tools that will become useful in helping my
classroom run smoothly.
The Educational Technology course has shed some needed light on the Educational
Technology Standards for Students which encourages effective teachers to model and
apply the use of technology as they design, implement, and assess learning experiences
to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practice; and provide
positive models for students. These standards have moved us in the direction of the
2|P a g e

Educational Technology Reflective Essay

educational revolution which propels us to expose our students to as much technology as

possible, using technology in creating Virtual classrooms, epistemic games, simulators
and global learning software which will stimulate our students and make them actively
involved in the teaching learning process.
In addition to all of the great information and skills that I acquired during the tenure
of this course, I had the opportunity to learn more about the Educational System. All of
the knowledge, information, ideas, and skill that I gained through every Educational
Technology class has taught me a whole lot of vital information. However, it is the
instructor who made this course meaningful to me. They added foe me a new perspective
in how to teach and communicate with students. It helped me to the gain the bigger
picture on the relationship between the teacher and the student. It was a great semester
and I hope with all the knowledge I have gained I will be effective in my field in the near
future.
Reference

Reflection on The Course- Educational Technology And The Various Tools Created Using
The Iste Nets Standards Retrieved august 25, 2015 from
http://kjlearningcorner.weebly.com/reflection-on-the-course--educationaltechnology-and-the-various-tools-created-using-the-iste-nets-standards.html
Guru.(2011). What is podcast and how does it work? Retrieved august 25, 2015 from
http://www.jafaloo.com/what-is-podcast-and-how-does-it-work/

3|P a g e