Module+Two+Reflection

Description:
This past two weeks we looked at how technology influences our teaching or how teaching influences our use of technology. This is another look at using TPACK in developing our lessons. We were to work on developing our pre-admission competencies and add works that we have already developed for our classes and reflect upon them. These artifacts had to comply under the standards for technology. We had several articles and our book readings that helped to further explain the standards and the use of TPACK. The discussion board comments were very interesting and insightful.

Impact:
I sort of felt overwhelmed at first with the assignment of putting various artifacts showing my use of technology in the classroom into the pre-admission competency worksheet. I felt as though I didn't have anything to show for due to my line of work in teaching students more hands-on tasks with patients. I was sort of surprised though once I started looking through my files and seeing what I've created for students and for staff education in our department. Even though the items I've created are not very indepth or overly technological, they worked for what I needed to get across to students and to other staff members. I've realized that using technology to help educate people doesn't always mean that the technology has to be in the form of wikis, web 2.0 tools, or smartboards.

Intent:
By using the TPACK method and technology standards to help guide you in developing learning material it makes you more aware of how to properly use technology to better enhance your student's learning experiences. By sticking to the standards you become more focused on what and why you are trying to use technology in your lessons. Many times technology can be used only for the mere purpose of being exciting to use. It may not have any significance in student's learning. I realize that I don't have a lot of experience with using a lot of technology tools but what I have used and am trying is for my student's benefit and for staff members' benefit in learning material that is presented to them. I have definitly tried to put myself in their shoes, so to speak, to try and see how I would feel using certain technology in learning different things. I also know how my own personal experiences have effected my decisions with incorporating certain technologies into lessons. I have experienced classes where technology was not presented in a way that benefitted my learning and ended up in a bad learning experience for me. From these types of experiences I hope to learn how not to do this to my students.