Reflection 10:What have you learned in this class? What is your most valuable experience?

This semester has been very hectic for me. I was experiencing quite a few personal problems and I am still very proud of the work I have completed thus far. In my journey of becoming a teacher I know I will come across many hard things in my path and one of those is school. I am a very good student, when I put my mind to it, but if not I become very lazy. This class is one of those classes that you have to, pardon my French, and work your butt off! But yet I know this class is going to help me in my future career as hard as it has been. I have learned so much in this class that it is incredible. I would always see my middle school teachers with lesson plans and never thought much of it but man I didn’t know how much work has to be put into it. Lesson plans are by far the most time consuming yet most reliable and helpful skill in teaching. Once you master creating lesson plans, it will come as a breeze and in the long run you will thank yourself for it. I have also learned how to create digital stories which are quite fun actually. I am the type of computer geek and all of my friends call me when they need help with their computers so me learning how to create a digital story was very entertaining and rewarding. I love taking pictures so once I can create my own digital story that is not for school I think I am going to have about 100 slides. Another thing I have learned in this class is writing reflections. No other teacher, that I have ever had, has made me do reflections. I guess it makes me feel kind of important that my teacher actually cares what we think. With all of the typing for this class I also think that my typing has become faster! This reflection for instance I think It’s only taken me 10 minuets when usually it would have taken me 15. I have also learned how to elaborate my power points more and not just by adding more pictures but by the content I place in it. I have also learned how to make study handouts and I not going to lie, those are a pain but they are actually quite useful. I don’t think I will be doing them for other classes because it is too time consuming but it is defiantly something that is good to know. I would have to say that my most valuable experience thus far would have to be just taking the course. I have been a bit shady and confused on weather or not I really want to be a teacher but this class has cleared out a lot of that nonsense for me. I just hope that with the few semesters I have left that I can complete my AA with my major in Elementary Teaching.

Reflection 9: What have you learned about the use of technology in the process of instructional delivery?

Through this class I have learned quite a few good processes that will help me when I succeed in becoming a teacher. Through the process of instructional delivery I have learned that today’s technology can be applied to almost anything. One of the most important things to know how to do when you become a teacher is how to make a lesson plan. Not only should you know how to make a lesson plan but you should know how to follow it and place details into it. When you have a well written and detailed lesson plan you will use your class time very effectively. I have learned to make a lesson plan using a basic lesson plan format and each lesson plan should be for the different type of lesson theory you are most comfortable with and the one which suits your needs best. I have also learned how to create a Digital Story. Stories have been around for many years since the beginning of time and they have slowly expanded our brains to see and hear the way stories are told. Most basic stories are books, movies or spoken stories; a digital story is a story that includes all basic stories. Digital stories include spoken words, pictures and images, music and have a theme. I have learned how to do a digital story step by step and it is actually quote simple. You must first choose the images you want shown, then you record yourself telling the story you want told that go with your images. Lastly, you choose the appropriate music to be in the background of the story. During the time I was in this class I have also done several power points. Power points are very good for presentations but they also can be used as a helpful studding tool. Many people don’t have good handwriting and get bored by studying just by reading so a power point can be very useful in the fact that it can help you study in a more efficient way. I used to place a lot of pictures and make my power points very entertaining but I have learned that it is not as much as the things you add to it as much as the content that is important. I have also had the chance to do study handouts. Study handouts are very useful because, just as power points, you can print these out and study straight from them. If you are not a great painter, you can add images to your handout that might help you remember certain topics you need to study. This class has helped me tremendously in learning new technological things that will help me in my journey as a teacher.