End of Year Reflection

I feel as though I have reversed the clock on my technological knowledge through this class. Basically, coming into this class I felt like a grandma. I don't have a laptop, I have two emails and have never read an educational blog before. After leaving this class I feel like I am in my 30's I have learned a lot yet still have a lot to learn and I found out I really like reading blogs. Growth is good :). I have learned so many new things that have/will become applicable to me as I continue on to becoming an educator. Here are just a couple of things I will write down to show how much I have learned:

1. I have discovered that I love blogging and that is probably because I love to talk and I love to have opinions on things but because I am required to have this blog has sparked in me the want to create my own as well as definitely have a classroom blog when I enter my teaching career
2. There are so many different ways to do lessons rather than lecture based, Prezi, Vocaroo, FlipSnack etc. I am amazed and excited to utilize these in the classroom
3. Get your students involved! Active learning is the best type of learning. 
4. Technology "levels the playing field", I LOVE that saying (read reflection #8 for more)

In accordance with the NETS I seriously have become familiar with all of them. Because technology is now becoming such an integral part of the educational process I don't think teachers should have an option to not be familiar with them. Digital Citizenship must be addressed in school, students must know how to cite and research on the Internet appropriately, teachers must be the example of D.C. in their classrooms and attempt to know more about certain technologies than their students. The NETS provide a basis of understanding and a foundation for teachers to grasp and then after we (teachers) understand and put them into practice our students will recognize and begin to see how appropriate technology can fit into the classroom. I think my favorite NET is the Digital Citizenship one and I know that I have already learned so much more about how to use the Internet in an educational setting and will continue to learn more and more about how to pass that knowledge onto my students. 

Thank you for everything! I have learned so much! :)