Blogging and Other 21st Century Technology

Technology has evolved in many ways. It is more than just the creation of the equipment, it is in the way that we use the equipment to go beyond the mechanics of accessing sites and move it into a new way of teaching. Going into the course I planned on learning how to incorporate the familiar technology pieces into my lessons as a vehicle to drive home the concepts that I felt were important for my students to understand. I did not fully understand what it meant to use technology to teach. My understanding of technology has made a dramatic turn. I now realize that the use of technology in the classroom is not the simple flip of a switch or the added animation in a flip chart, it is a way of understanding for my students. My perspective on technology and my understanding of how my students need and use technology has changed, for the better. I am eager to use my new found knowledge and understanding in guiding my students to success and achievement.
My new understanding of technology and it’s use in educating my students will transform the way that learning takes place in my classroom and on my campus. It is my responsibility to guide my students in the process of utilizing technology to learn beyond the limits of the classroom. This advance in learning will need to be applied by all administrators and staff on campus. The 21st century advancements in technology need to be promoted so that all students and stakeholders have access to the new way that our society is advancing and moving. Learning is no longer limited to books, lectures, and worksheets. If students are taught properly they will find that they can control their continued learning beyond the walls of the traditional and formal classroom.
Complete understanding of the many components that make up 21st century technology are vast and too many to gain complete mastery in the period of a 5 week course. The ground work, foundation if you will, has been laid. I look forward to continuing my learning process of how technology can be used to train my students to teach themselves. Time was the restraint that I found prohibited me from feeling that I had mastered the process of training my students to teach themselves. Practice and continued work with the new technology pieces will solidify the understanding of and confidence in use of 21st century technology.
I felt that I was successful in completing the assignments that were part of the learning involved in this course work. The assignments were relevant to the goal of addressing technology in the 21st century. Through collaboration with colleagues and informative lectures I gained not only new knowledge about the changing technology in the classroom, but a new way of thinking as I work to incorporate these instruments into my teaching. The weekly readings and discussions with classmates gave insight to how others are moving to transition into 21st century classrooms. I also gained tools that I can share with colleagues on my campus as we work together to educate our students.
Being relevant is a critical piece of the education puzzle. Relevancy is not just in how we communicate with our students but in how we teach them as well. The tools and technology that we incorporate in the lessons must not only support the concepts being taught but must align with the way that our students are relating to their world. Our influence in the lives of our students carries outside the classroom. They look to us for guidance in what is acceptable not only in the classroom, but outside the school yard as well. I realize that I need to step up and take my classroom to the next level in incorporating technology. I have not been teaching in a manner that is in accordance with that of a 21st century classroom. As a leader on my campus I will need to make the necessary adjustments to advance my teaching skills and my student’s comprehension to that of 21st century quality.
Educators might question the new method of communicating that is known as blogging. Blogging is a way of sharing concepts and stimulating new ideas and thinking with others that have similar interests, namely education, where time and geographic location barriers do not exist. By using this method of collaboration and dialogue, and educating our students in the use of this technology, we can help them move beyond their campus in their pursuit of education. Blogging allows us to share information along with links to sites that can increase the communication of those involved.
As with any public technology access tool, privacy is a concern for those that are under age. Younger students will need to be taught the proper rules that apply to blogging, such as being careful not to use the technology avenue as a way to bully but to share thoughts and opinions in an appropriate manner. Blogs in education need to support and stimulate learning. If the blog site becomes a place where students are venting in an unhealthy way then learning is not taking place. It will be the responsibility of the educators to police and monitor the blog site and guide their students in meaningful learning experiences while using the tool to take learning outside the classroom.
I think that blogging will be a great tool that can be used to keep stakeholders informed of learning and other things that are taking place inside the classroom. Blogging keeps the dialogue open and going in real time. Unlike email, blogging allows all parties to see the entire conversation and thought process. This can lead to open lines of communication and give equal value to all participants. I look forward to using blogs as a way to communicate and dialogue with not only my students but with their parents and my staff as well. 21st century technology avenues are not things to be afraid of, but are communication and learning tools that can be used to advance learning to the next level as it can be accessed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.