New and Emerging Technologies: Reflection

Throughout this course, I have thought about where the completion of this program will take me, and what it should mean with regards to my leadership in my school building. I am beginning to understand that the understandings I have developed not only through this class, but throughout the Integrating Technology in Education program, are an important part of the process to inspire change among my peers and colleagues in my building and district. I can now see that I need to take the initiative to model and introduce my colleagues to various technologies and their uses in the classroom, along with the benefits and efficiency they provide for student learning. The greatest realization that I have had during this particular course has been the level of resistance among my peers and colleagues to integrate technology in meaningful ways.

With the Purposeful Technology Planning application complete, I can recognize that I have learned a great deal about not only the uses of available technologies, but also of those that are currently new and emerging. Tools such as online learning environments and MUVEs had not occurred to me previously as having an education use beyond college courses and online entertainment. Throughout this course, I have had my eyes opened to the possibilities of utilizing online learning environments to differentiate and enhance student learning, providing opportunities that traditional learning tools cannot provide. Through an online learning environment students can develop crucial 21^st century skills, such as problem solving, complex collaboration and communication, and project and artifact innovation (Young, Birtolo, & McElman, 2009). MUVEs provide an additional flexibility and creative aspect to creating a potentially global community. I can see that as I continue to gain understanding and experience with technology tools and their applications in student learning, I will begin to better understand and realize the potential and possibilities that MUVEs can offer to a classroom learning environment, or to a global learning environment. It is, however, an area in which I certainly need more experience and information, so that I can better understand how to proceed with its appropriate use.

To continue to learn about new and emerging technologies, I need to begin setting time aside to read and research through internet resources that can provide information about these new technologies and their uses. Utilizing my aggregator and subscribing to technology blogs and informational sites, I can easily keep up with thoughts and tools that are being used in the classroom to support learning. However, the greatest change I need to make will be to better know, understand, and use the technology tools that I am familiar with. By gaining more experience and comfort with those tools, I will be able to better plan for lessons that incorporate their use in a meaningful way. Additionally, I need to collaborate more with colleagues; in my own building, those I will remain in touch with from this program, and other educators that I know and communicate with. Sharing experiences and thoughts about a technology and its ability to be utilized effectively in the classroom can spark a discussion and an idea enhancement or solution to a technology problem. I also see and understand the important role I play in shaping the technology use and adoption within my building. This can be done through the modeling and sharing of lessons utilizing technologies such as blogs, wikis, or online learning communities, and supporting colleagues in the development of skills to use those technologies. Change can be difficult for many of my colleagues and it becomes part of my responsibility to demonstrate and explain that even small changes moving toward technology integration can make a huge difference with our students.

Resource:

Young, J., Birtolo, P., & McElman, R. (2009). Virtual success: Transforming education through online learning. Learning & Leading with Technology,
36(5), 12–17. Retrieved from the Education Research Complete database.