792- Reflections on my Journey My initial thought of the Innovative Learning program at Touro, is best described by the word “enriched” with the opportunity to take my teaching practices and technology skills to a higher level. I remember lacking confidence in myself to complete this program, feeling I might not be able to keep up with the high demands of using technology. The first assignment was to fill out confidential forms, sign and return to its corresponding departments. This was my introduction to technology and I was already feeling loss dealing with logistics. Consequently, I reached out to my cohort and asked if I could join them for class meetings. Being proactive, worked for me, working collaboratively gave me a peace of mind. We are supportive and respectful of each other’s work and ideas. The research paper was a massive undertaking, I learned how important it is to keep track of your data and also how to manipulate tech tools to create graphs, for a more visually engaging paper. Setting up my weebly site was not an easy task, I was fortunate my niece had previous experience using this program and agreed to assist me. I am glad to say, I now enjoy blogging! I spent the second semester creating lesson plans on digital citizenship, exploring educational tools, reading books on how to create simple presentations, and making sense of design-making. The final assignment consisted of a prerecorded video presentation with voice over on a book review. The objectives were to showcase proficiency in integrating a web tool and give a thorough explanation of the author’s main points. Now, I am in the last semester of this program, the words the best describe this learning and teaching experience is “empowered” and “equipped” to take on more academic and 21st century skills challenges in the classroom. I am learning how to link pages to my Capstone Project, create an engaging video, design a logo, among many more creative experiences to keep me on my toes and out of my comfort zone. Lasting Learnings
TPACK Reflection
Despite the 10 years of teaching experience at Napa State Hospital, I left feeling behind in the area of technology training and exposure. This is my second year, as a special educator, at Napa Valley Unified School District working with special needs students. In the Special Day Class, I noticed students struggling with core concepts in mathematics and a lack of engagement. Hence, I jumped aboard the concept of technology integration through the Innovative Learning Masters Program. I felt I needed to make math content accessible to my student population. At first, I implemented whole class instruction, and it was not successful, students would talk out of turn. Secondly, the group discussion seldom worked. The students were misbehaving, creating a disruptive learning environment, and I was not meeting the students’ needs. With TPACK, a framework that combines three knowledge areas, content, pedagogy, and technology, has changed the way I view teaching. This program and TPACK, have altered the way I used to approach teaching from paper and pencil to the integration of technology. After the integration of tech tools, my students have been more cooperative and willing to make an effort, even though, math is not a favorite subject of them. In the video of Punya Mishra, An Introduction to TPACK, he says that content, pedagogy, and technology are not isolated of each other, instead they are the total package for teaching with technology. At the heart of TPACK is meeting students’ needs with the swift integration of all three knowledge areas.
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AuthorI am a special ed teacher at Vintage High School. Archives
July 2018
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