Reflecting on Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum

These past eight weeks have been challenging, exciting, and difficult for me on both personal and professional levels. It has been through the strength of God that I have not only survived, but have also grown as a person and as a teacher. As I reflect on integrating technology across the curriculum, I realize that all teachers are responsible for the technology standards. If educators are to prepare students for the 21st century, we have to teach problem solving and creative thinking skills, and an integral part of that is using technology to achieve those goals.

The lesson that made the most impact on me from this class was the problem-based learning plan. Basing lessons on authentic problems that the students try to solve is truly engaging. I implemented this plan with my students as I developed it for this class. I chose to turn the persuasive essay into a problem solving experience instead of it being just an exercise. So far, I am seeing a higher level of engagement from my students. They have chosen topics that are important to them, ranging from school dress code issues to road conditions in their local townships. They are researching and writing rough drafts this week. Their goal is to argue for a change in the way these issues are handled. In the next couple of weeks, my students will collaborate to bring their arguments together to create a persuasive presentation for a panel of community and school leaders.

My own approach to collaboration is changing as a result of this class. One of my goals is to improve how I collaborate on a professional level. There are a few teachers from my master’s classes that I have put into my address book. I have been inspired by a science teacher with whom I plan to stay in touch, even though we teach different subjects. I have also started to make other connections. Just this week, I added a fellow English teacher from a school an hour’s drive away to my list of collaborative colleagues.

As part of my future lesson planning, besides my state language arts standards, I am also going to be looking at technology standards for lessons. I also plan to one day become a technology specialist to help teachers from all contents to use technology. The only problem with this plan is that the economy has forced schools in my area to cut those positions. This situation will eventually change. Learning about the uses of technology is too important to stay pushed back.