Blog Post #16 Final Reflection/Exam

   I have throughly enjoyed my journey in EDM310.  I am definitely not the same person that I was at the beginning of this course.  I thought that I was open minded with technology before this course but found that I was wrong and that I needed to change in order to be the best educator that I can be for my future students.  I have learned that through technology that I will be able to create lesson plans that will help a diversity of students.  There is not just one way to educate, there are endless ways.  I now feel better prepared and have the confidence that I should posses as a beginner teacher.  I plan to teacher First Grade and I believe the sooner a child is introduced to new ways of technology learning  the better they will be as a grounded student.  
     There are so many tools available to use on the web that will help me in my future classroom.  Had it not been for this course I would have never known about google docs, prezi's, blogging and those are just a few to name.  Once I was introduced to the google drive and was educated on the way that you can create your own docs and store them on the google drive and look at them from any computer, I was hooked.  I do not plan to venture back to the other side of word documents.  I found that the application Prezi is a wonderful way to give a presentation and will also be a great way to share book reports in my future classroom.  My favorite tool learned this semester is blogging.  I plan to use blogging in my future classroom on a daily/weekly basis.  It is a great way to give the student the opportunity to create.  
At the beginning of the semester my first blog was to imagine my future classroom and to state methods of teaching that I plan to emphasize on.  
     If I built a school, it would incorporate a self organized learning environment.  It would have some structure to it, but would also allow for student's to give their own input.  This would allow for each student to grow in their own unique ability.  Classrooms would be filled with cheerful colors.  There would be many motivational quotes hanging on all of the walls.  The atmosphere would be one that gives the student the feeling that they matter.  Student's would be allowed to give their opinions on varies topics that would in turn allow the teacher to know what I as the teacher  need to focus on.  Student's will be introduced to technology through the Smart Board and other electronics.  Students will work in collaboration during this time so that each student will become comfortable.  The more comfortable you are, the better learner you will become.
     Students will be given the opportunity to use technology with their course studies.  Whether it be a math game on an approved website or a learning video on youtube.  If the technology tools are available there is no limit to learning.  I have found many study help websites that I will introduce my students to.  Study Blue is a great website for studying for test or exams.  The student or teacher puts the information to be studied on the website and in turn the whole class can study at a convenient time for each of them.  you have the opportunity to listen to the study session or you can make word games or practice test.  I feel this will be beneficial to my future students.  
     Without technology, classrooms in my opinion would be boring.  It would be back to the pencil and paper and work sheets.  Students that are slackers would get bored because of the lack of motivation and grades would fail.  With technology, students that normally have low grades have a better chance of improving their grades with the different ways that you can learn through technology.  Students that would normally be too shy to call for help and use different web sites to look up the information that they are struggling with.  The possibilities are endless.  You have to keep an open mind and be up for change but the end result will be awesome student success.