CEP 811 Final Reflections

During these past eight weeks while taking the CEP 811 course, I was introduced to several new technologies and teaching tools, was able to enhance my understanding of the new researches in learning and teaching, and was able to create some useful web-based technology resources  that are relevant to my teaching.

The most important thing that was made evident in this course is that in teaching today's learners who are growing up in a web-connected and technology based world, it is absolutely essential for educators to adapt/adjust teaching methods and ways of lesson delivery to match up to their ways of learning. To effectively integrate technology in teaching a lesson, teachers must first have clearly defined lesson plans. The Instructional Design Principles that were defined and explained in Session 1 described the basic principles of creating an effective lesson plan. After defining the basic principles, technology is then incorporated into the individual parts of the lesson plan as appropriate. The four areas that should be addressed for a technology rich lesson are motivation, socialization, audience, and technology needs. The technology aspect is the teaching tool that is used to accomplish the goal of the lesson. If used appropriately, it can turn out to motivate and engage today's learners in a very effective manner. Other than having a well-defined lesson plan, it is also essential for teachers to learn and understand the various types of technologies that are available and that can be used effectively in the classroom. The Universal Design for Learning is an extremely powerful framework that focuses on teaching strategies that are expected to reach all learners. According to this structure, teachers should attempt to use multiple ways of representation, actions and expressions, and engagement in their teaching. Technology plays a very significant role in being able to successfully use this framework. Overall, to effectively teach when integrating technology, educators must select the technology tool that is appropriate to the lesson, have a thorough understanding of what the tool can provide, and incorporate it an organized and well-planned lesson.

Integrating web based technologies adds a new dimension to the idea of technology usage. To begin with, there needs to be an understanding that everything that is done web-based can be accessed by others. This alone requires you to be more careful about what you post and how you post it. This course introduced us to some basic formats and designs/colors that work better than others. Secondly, it can be extremely powerful as a communication tool. Learning can now take place anywhere that an internet connection is available. Learning is not exclusively done in the classroom anymore. What this means, at the same time, is that educators now have to learn how to teach in a web-based platform. This involves creating web-based resources, such as a webquest or a stand-alone instruction resource. Both these resources, if designed well, can be extremely powerful teaching tools and can provide multiple ways of presenting a lesson. Students who need to take more time for understanding, or who need several reinforcements before being able to clearly grasp concepts, can now do so at their own time outside of the classroom. It also allows lesson delivery to take place in a different format, and students are no more simply dependent on understanding the lecture in the classroom. Being a member of MERLOT allowed us have access to teaching materials created by other educators. We were able to evaluate resources on it and submit some of our work to be used and reviewed by others as well. Now   before we actually create a technology based teaching resource, we can have look at MERLOT to see if others have done something that we may be able to use.

I think I was able to accomplish more than what I had thought I would. I actually created my own class webpage. That is pretty amazing! I have also become more familiar with some of the tools I was introduced to in CEP 810.  The most valuable part of this course for me was creating my own StAIR. The process was frustrating and took a lot of time, but in the end I felt it was something that I could immediately use in my teaching as a web-based resource for my students. I will be taking the next course CEP 812 Applying Educational Technology to Practice. I am hoping to extend my learning in this next course and to continue implementing some of these educational  practices into my lessons.