This course has taught me many useful skills. I learned many
Web 2.0 technologies and how to use them in an educational environment. The
class text book introduced us to many interesting and very useful tools. It
provided great guidance and suggestions for implementing technology in schools
and using Web 2.0 tools.
This course served as a wake up
call. As educators we must teach in useful methods for the new
generation of learners. An article by Marc Prensky discussing differences in
between the current generation of teachers and the current generation of student
changed my way of thinking.
There was one quote that I felt
very important and true. Presnky wrote, "Teachers assume
that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the same methods
that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their
students now. But that assumption is no longer valid." (Prensky,
2001) I had never looked at it this way and he is correct. This article changed
how I approached the semester and kept me engaged to learn and take away the
most I could from the course.
Technology is here to stay,
simply ignoring it will not make it go away. There are incredible amounts of
free resources to help our students in meaningful ways. The use of
technology in classrooms will help students achieve a greater understanding of
course work, which in turn will help them achieve testing standards.
Blogs, WebQuests, and Wikis all can make a significant and positive impact on
our student's educations. I learned all of these tools this semester and intend
to use them all in the future.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital
Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the
Horizon , 9 (5).
