My reflection on 5366

I have learned a great deal about making a logo and the importance of a personal logo. A personal logo can help a student understand or define their values. “Especially international teachers like myself who go recruiting ever 3 to 5 years and need to understand that their name and skills are their brand and can help them in getting hired.”(Schawbel, D 2009) This quote helped me realizes how personal branding can not only communicate who you are to others but assist a student in firming up their own identities. I also learned the educational values of gaming. “These young people continue to play games as adults: research has shown that the average age of a video gamer in the United States in 2009 was 35 years”.(L Johnson 2010) This quote made realizes that many of my coworkers have been gaming most of their lives. Gaming can be a great teaching tool.

I have also realized through my reading that administration needs to buy in to implementation of technology tools. “An investment in appropriate professional development is needed for the successful implementation of these tools. Teachers also need time to think about how to integrate technology resources into their classroom in a way that fully supports instruction.”(L Wahl 2005) This quote is where I found the fourth strategy I would like to employ is a type of is a forum or Tech Tuesday sort of thing. A former district had planned to implement this type of strategy where the first Monday of every month the technology director would be on campus and during your conference period. You and others would meet with him for either a question and answer session or instruction on new applications or ways to utilize technology in the classroom. The project was never followed up with but in theory it was fabulous. I know teachers are extremely protective of their time and I would have to “come out with guns blazing” to engage them and prove that this is worth their time but once I get them to buy into the program I feel we could have a long lasting impact on overall student learning and lifetime achievement.

As a lifetime learner we as teacher should always try and explore the new technology that is provided to us. In my years of teaching, I have witnessed the surge of technology through education, from a classroom without any computers to a classroom that has a built in computer lab, interactive Smart Board and state of the art projection system. The tools to reach the digital learner are there and need to be employed by teachers to reach these students.

Schawbel, D. (2009). Personal branding 101: How to discover and create your brand. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/11/22/personal-branding-101/
Johnson, L., Smith, R., Levine, A., Haywood, K., (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Wahl,l., & Duffield, J. (2005). Using Flexing technology to meet the needs of diverse leaners.