Digital story telling project
- 1. The 21st Century Teacher Beverlee Andrews EME 2040 – Introduction to Technology for Educators Digital Story Telling – Due 12/7/12
- 2. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century Technology: The professional teacher uses technology (as appropriate) to establish an atmosphere of active learning with existing and emerging technologies available at the school site. She/he provides students with opportunities to use technology to gather and share information with others, and facilitates access to the use of electronic resources. Students are much more technologically savvy today, but technology changes so quickly that it’s difficult for everyone to keep up with the latest wave. As a teacher, in order to help my students learn, I need to be keep up with them. I have learned that there are many tools available to assist with helping students learn – meeting them where they are – which involves excitement for technology. Students learn best when they understand the materials and are engaged in learning materials that meet their different learning styles. Whether it involves engaging them with material derived from online sources, or designing a learning experience where they are learning contextually, it is my responsibility as their teacher to support them in learning using the latest tools available.
- 3. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century Learning Environments: The professional teacher understands the importance of setting up effective learning environments and begins to experiment with a variety of them, seeking to identify those which work best in a particular situation. The teacher provides the opportunities for student input into behavioral expectations by helping students develop a set of shared values and beliefs, by encouraging them to envision the environment in which they like to learn, by providing occasions for reflection upon the rules and consequences that would create an environment and by honoring dissent. One example of what I learned related to this competency is the idea of including my students in the development of the AUP. Although a few in the discussion groups disagreed with including students in this process, my view is that since the school already has an AUP which requires both student and their parents to sign, I will incorporate more specific rules into my classroom AUP. I would involve the students in the creation of the classroom AUP that would be “owned” by the class. To do this, I would enhance their critical thinking skills by conducting a SWOT analysis with each class, identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats inherent in this classroom technology I would ask the students to create a standard for breaking the classroom rules and provide a process for what happens when a student disregards the rules established by the class. By allowing the students to be a part of the process of establishing the rules, they will self-police their own behavior and the classroom activities using technology will be an integral part of their learning, rather than being viewed as a struggle by both teacher and students. Severe discipline issues will be handled accordingly.
- 4. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century Continuous Improvement: The professional teacher recognizes the need to strengthen her/his teaching through self-reflection and commitment to lifelong learning. The teacher becomes aware of and is familiar with the School Improvement Plan. The teacher’s continued professional improvement is characterized by participation in inservice, participation in school/community committees, and designing and meeting the goals of a professional development plan. This course is part of my continued professional development for teacher recertification. I am impressed by the vast amount of technology that is available for teachers’ today and I believe that all teachers should be exposed to learning about the latest available. I strive to stay current on the technologies and reflect upon the learning gains that result from continuously learning and making improvements along the way. I have used data to enhance my performance and experiment with new teaching practices. I participate in learning communities and share with others. Staying involved and positive is the key to successfully connecting with both students and teachers.
- 5. Competencies for Teachers of the 21st Century Role of the Teacher: The professional teacher establishes opens lines of communication and works cooperatively with families, educational professionals, and other members of the student’s support system to promote continuous improvement of the educational experience. Teachers have the potential to impact students’ lives in a myriad of ways. How a teacher reacts to a student, expressions said, confidence and trust established… all can provide students with support or harm. It is very important for teachers to be advocates for students by working with the families to establish what is needed to best educate the individual student. Understanding their background helps to understand them better, so personal goals can be met. In my teaching experience, I have learned many things from my students, including compassion and understanding. By providing them with the opportunities to express themselves, (within reason) they develop a trust in and a respect for me as their teacher. My experience has been that students need teachers to be more than disciplinarians, but to be a sounding board for them when they need attention. Involving family members, as appropriate is wise and creates an inclusive environment.