Reflection
Throughout the development of this PLN, Improving Reading Skills Through Technology, I have come to realize some things. I have come to realize that there is a multitude of websites filled with information, research, support, and interactive games out there which are just waiting to be utilized. I have come to realize that the information and research through journal articles on the World Wide Web strongly supports the need for children who are at-risk readers to utilize and benefit from computers and technology when strengthening phonemic awareness, accuracy, and fluency skills.
Throughout the development of this PLN, I have come to realize, based upon the information and research on the World Wide Web, that there is a growing need for technology in the classroom. Teachers and administrators are being pushed to incorporate more uses of technology in their classrooms to stay competitive in the fast growing and changing world that we live in. The Common Core Standards are dictating these changes as well. Yet, most teachers and administrators are lacking the education and tools to incorporate technological changes in the classroom. And, those of us teachers and parents who use technology everyday are apprehensive about technology. I have come to realize throughout the building of this PLN that the internet is a vast wealth of information, learning, and teaching tools. I have come to realize for a long time now, while in my sixth year of teaching 3rd graders, and who by teaching 3rd grade, is presently teaching children who will be graduating in the classes of the 2020's, that technology is already a big part of their lives, and it is going to become a bigger part of their lives throughout the next decade. I have come to realize that it is imperative that I incorporate and expose children to different modes of technology into my classroom now, in order to meet the needs and strive for the successes of my students future.
Finally, I have come to realize throughout the building of this PLN that I no longer have any kind of fear of the World Wide Web as far as researching, searching, building, or constructing sites, and utilizing these tools in my classroom to help aid in strengthening and enhancing the skills of my students. Up until this Capstone Course and the developing of this PLN, I only felt comfortable using the SmartBoard, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint for classroom instruction. After building this PLN, seeing some of the other PLN's that were built by classmates, seeing the websites that they used to build their PLN, and seeing some of the websites and resources that they have built into their PLN to share with us, I now have quite the collection of useful websites, knowledge on how to build websites, and other resources that I can utilize in my classroom to bring my classroom learning environment into the 21st century. This "work in progress" and "continually changing and updated " PLN will be used with my students, hopefully by my peers, and hopefully by some of my parents, inside and outside the classroom in achieving my goal of developing a PLN capable of building into my small group reading instruction of at-risk children to strengthen their skills in phonemic awareness, accuracy in reading, and fluency in reading.
Throughout the development of this PLN, I have come to realize, based upon the information and research on the World Wide Web, that there is a growing need for technology in the classroom. Teachers and administrators are being pushed to incorporate more uses of technology in their classrooms to stay competitive in the fast growing and changing world that we live in. The Common Core Standards are dictating these changes as well. Yet, most teachers and administrators are lacking the education and tools to incorporate technological changes in the classroom. And, those of us teachers and parents who use technology everyday are apprehensive about technology. I have come to realize throughout the building of this PLN that the internet is a vast wealth of information, learning, and teaching tools. I have come to realize for a long time now, while in my sixth year of teaching 3rd graders, and who by teaching 3rd grade, is presently teaching children who will be graduating in the classes of the 2020's, that technology is already a big part of their lives, and it is going to become a bigger part of their lives throughout the next decade. I have come to realize that it is imperative that I incorporate and expose children to different modes of technology into my classroom now, in order to meet the needs and strive for the successes of my students future.
Finally, I have come to realize throughout the building of this PLN that I no longer have any kind of fear of the World Wide Web as far as researching, searching, building, or constructing sites, and utilizing these tools in my classroom to help aid in strengthening and enhancing the skills of my students. Up until this Capstone Course and the developing of this PLN, I only felt comfortable using the SmartBoard, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint for classroom instruction. After building this PLN, seeing some of the other PLN's that were built by classmates, seeing the websites that they used to build their PLN, and seeing some of the websites and resources that they have built into their PLN to share with us, I now have quite the collection of useful websites, knowledge on how to build websites, and other resources that I can utilize in my classroom to bring my classroom learning environment into the 21st century. This "work in progress" and "continually changing and updated " PLN will be used with my students, hopefully by my peers, and hopefully by some of my parents, inside and outside the classroom in achieving my goal of developing a PLN capable of building into my small group reading instruction of at-risk children to strengthen their skills in phonemic awareness, accuracy in reading, and fluency in reading.