My overall ICT class experience
“Arguably, my favourite class in university”
My experience in Using Information and Communication Technology or ICT has been a blast. From one resource to another, this class certainly exposed me to a world where technology is viewed as a tool to help increase the students learning ability inside the classroom. It is crazy to think that I was almost not a part of this class. I still remember the first day where I was on the waiting list trying to convince the people at the office to let me join this class. Thankfully, I got in and the rest is history. My biggest takeaway from this class is that it gave me the courage to not shy away from implementing technology in my classroom lessons. Inspiring and teaching students to take advantage of these new technologies is now a part of my teaching philosophy.
My two main takeaways
My first takeaway is that as an aspiring educator, it is necessary that students learn the meaning of Digital Citizenship. It refers to confidence and positive engagement with digital technologies. It is necessary that students learn this topic because it will teach them to be careful about whatever they post online. In today’s world, curating a positive identity is necessary because it is a way to participate, communicate, and contribute positively to society.
My second takeaway is that we need to implement technologies in our lesson plans. It has been a big debate inside the classrooms whether technology helps or disrupts the lessons. In my own point of view, technology should be used inside the classroom because it makes learning easier and engaging for students. Technology should be implemented because it makes lessons accessible for everyone. By taking this class, I learned the importance of using technology the right way. It is also crucial that students learn Digital Literacy before letting them use various social media platforms and apps.
How will you share and implement your knowledge of ICT, digital citizenship, ICT frameworks (TIMM, SAMR, Triple E) and ICT tools in your future classroom and teaching practice?
How will you share and implement your knowledge of ICT, digital citizenship, ICT frameworks (TIMM, SAMR, Triple E) and ICT tools in your future classroom and teaching practice?
The first step is understanding where the student's knowledge level on ICT.
I think it is crucial to observe the students first, before integrating ICT inside the classroom. My first step is I am going to a mini-lesson on ICT where I would list all the ICT techniques that the students will understand. After observing, I will use the feedback and base that information on my next lesson.
The second step is planning to develop their ICT knowledge.
The third step is selecting the right ICT tools.
After this class, I have realized that I gained a lot of new ICT resources that I can implement inside the classroom. It is crucial that I distinguish which resource is appropriate for that age group.
The last step is using ICT as a form of assessment.
Once the students grasped the concept of ICT and how to use it, I will then start thinking about using it as a form of assessment. Different apps like Kahoot, Quizzizz, and Parlay Ideas are great resources to use for assessing students.
Out of all the three frameworks, I am planning to implement the Triple E framework because it helps educators curate a lesson plan. The advantage of this framework is that it helps integrate technology into a lesson. It allows the student to use technology to reach their learning goals. The best thing about this framework is its simplicity. The Triple E framework is easier to look at compared to the other two that we looked over in class. The framework caters to the teacher, and it explains why it should be inside the classroom. This framework is similar to the concept of digital literacy because it encourages educators to try and integrate technology in their lesson planning. According to the Triple E framework website, "The framework is intended to help educators create lessons that allow students to use technology to meet and add value to learning goals as active, social, creative learners, in authentic ways. The framework also helps K-12 administrators evaluate the connection between potential learning outcomes and the technology they are seeing in their teacher's classrooms". This information is quite significant because it strengthens the argument that the framework design caters to the needs of the teachers.
How will you continue to stay on top of ICT tools?
I will stay on top of ICT tools by going to different PD’s that focuses on technology and maybe even do my own research on different and new apps that can be used as a tool inside the classroom. Being on top of ICT tools is important because it contributes to high-quality lessons and it can help increase the student’s motivation. For ICT to be useful it is necessary that we always try to find that connection that they can relate to and support them if they want to use it for projects, exams, etc.
What will you do when you are “stuck” or experiencing difficulties in your classroom?
If I do get ‘stuck’ or experience difficulties inside the classroom, I would go back and look at the progress to figure out the mistake or what went wrong. Technology is very unpredictable, what I mean by that is most of the time, the mistakes or errors are uncontrollable. Sometimes, reflecting on the mistakes can help solve the mistakes. I think reflecting and looking back at the process is very necessary when it comes to using ICT inside the classroom. If that ever happens, it is crucial to have a backup activity to help mitigate the problem.
Asking the right questions to people who use or have used ICT can also help. Having strong connections are very necessary as a first-year teacher. Since we are not as experienced as the other teachers, it is important to ask them questions if we are unsure of something or maybe even ask them what technology did they use to teach this part of the lesson. In my own point of view, asking the right questions and learning from our mistakes will be the answer to creating a strong engaging classroom environment for our students.
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