Reflection on EDUC 6715

Working to create a technology integrated lesson that employs online gaming was very useful to me as a teacher. I have previously used simulations without technology and found them helpful, but not nearly to the degree that my lesson using Pyramid Challenge from the BBC’s website will be. Students today are not as easily engaged. Using any technology component instantly makes educational activities more appealing and familiar to them. I know I can count on my sixth graders not only being excited to plan, procure materials for, design, and build a realistic Egyptian pyramid, but I will be able to extend this activity thanks to a well-designed and valuable game interface. Students are constantly being asked to work on higher-level thinking and in collaborative activities and Pyramid Challenge allows them to do just that.

Perhaps even more beneficial to me as a classroom teacher though was working to understand the process of finding and writing grants so that technology tools may be made available in my classroom even if they are not at my school. Simple searches can yield plenty of results for companies and foundations that see the value of technology integration. Gaining access to those funds is a bit more challenging, but working to create a grant introduction that sums up my goals was very helpful in preparing for writing an actual proposal. Reading the variety of resources available to help teachers in this process was also beneficial so that I can be prepared to think like the grant reader would.

Some changes that I plan to make immediately to help me prepare to teach 21st Century learners will be to join more professional teacher organizations and to subscribe to online and print journals for educators. Throughout this course as well as my entire work toward my degree, I have been amazed at the information presented as well as the opportunities provided by these actions. Top experts in technology regularly report their research findings, webinars are held, conferences are advertised, and grants, fellowships, and participatory stipends are all made available for teachers via teacher organizations and journals. To be realistic, teachers want to bring changes to their classroom for 21st Century learners, but this is not possible without current information and funding. My new knowledge of these resources has been extremely helpful in this respect; creating change.