Week+3+Reflection

This week was one of the most challenging weeks of my entire degree! Part of the problem was a five-day trip for spring break which caused me to get behind. The workload was intense with little time to process the information. Thankfully, my group was ahead on assignments, but I had to complete my UDL lesson and eBook  on the Bookbuilder site  to upload on our Google site  before our next collaboration meeting. Working to meet your own goals is easy, but when my efforts affect others in my group, it adds more stress to the situation. I made many revisions to my lesson design as I came across new ideas and knowledge from the course information. I was delighted to find the wealth of information and resources that are available on the CAST site. Unfortunately, I had to rush through the material, but hope to visit more thoroughly in the future. Not only is the CAST site valuable, but our text, “ Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works ” is probably the best resource I have read on integrating technology in lessons. I adore this book and discover incredible learning each time I re-read a chapter. My desire is to purchase copies for teachers to use as a resource on each campus in our district. The book is filled with valuable web resources, strategies, and visuals that inspire the proper methodology for technology integration! An additional resource was the UDL models which served its purpose in assisting us to design our own with ease. We learned how to create strategies in our lesson that address the three brain networks: recognition, strategic, and affective. Also, the motivating video clips this week confirmed how important it is for teachers to integrate technology in classroom instruction. My favorite video clip was on Cameron, the video expert and appreciated how his teacher used his skills to enhance their math lesson on negative numbers. The ten tips shown for using technology in the classroom are now bookmarked for me to post on my school website. After evaluating my own teaching skills from the list, I felt I could improve on adding music in my lessons and using my pupil's gadgets more. Our district's policies do not allow students to use personal equipment, but in time, that will change. I believe personal tools will be allowed in the future, since our technologies are getting outdated and budget restraints keep us from purchasing more.