1. How has planning technology-integrated lessons affected your believes in role of technology in education? Why?
"Well that's a great question because I have always been a firm believer in technology and the role it can play in the classroom. Although I am a mathematician at heart, I am still a man of science! Technology is growing exponentially. I remember as a child the rush I felt being allowed to play a computer game called 'Number Muncher' after completion of my 6th grade work in class. I did not really know that I was learning, but I was because I wanted to advance farther in the game.
2. What is your theory of how you learn? How do the ways you learn affect how you plan to teach?
I am a learner who is intrapersonal, linguistic, and bodily kinesthetic. I learn best when I have time to review the material at my own leisure during independent study as opposed to group learning. I am auditory and have excellent retention skills. I am able to listen to lectures and recall the information readily in conjunction with reviewing the material independently. I also learn by doing. Being shown how to do something will enable me to perform the same activity unassisted. Although these methods work for me, I know that some of my students may benefit from different types of instruction. This is why knowing your students is key! Providing engaging instruction to students can be accomplished through a variety of mediums that appeal to a multitude of children's learning styles.
3. What was the most difficult part of lesson planning for technology integration in your instruction? Why?
As a teacher, there are many resources that we have at our disposal that can ease or workload and let us focus on delivering engaging content. One such resource, which aided me in lesson planning, was "Common Curriculum." This site made lesson planning a breeze and with the ABCD lesson planning objectives, the only obstacle to my lesson planning was procrastination!
The only hiccup I ran into was not having a textbook to work in conjunction with my lesson planning. I felt like within the guideline of the educational standards, there is a lot of wiggle room to insert more information to students. Having the textbook handy would have enabled me to find out just how much wiggle room I had!
4. What aspect of lesson planning was the most challenging? What will you do to help address this challenge?
The hardest part of lesson planning for me was finding the motivation to write them! Once I sit down in front of my Macbook, navigate to my common curriculum lesson plan, put on my noise canceling headphones and crank up Erik Satie, I can get in the zone and I am ready to rock out. My procrastination is something I am constantly battling. I am learning to take 'small bites' out of my lesson planning, so I do not end up with a 72oz steak of an assignment because I failed to compete milestones on the assignment.
