This year I have had a
great opportunity to transform my classroom and my teaching. I was awarded a
grant to have a Next Generation Classroom of the Future! As soon as I found
out, I was unbelievably excited and anxious for the school year to start. I
told myself to go for it, not hold back, so I could get the most from this
experience.
My classroom was
transformed with different furniture for collaboration and group learning. My
teacher desk was no longer a part of the classroom setup. I was also armed with
lots of new technology—an iPad for each student and teacher, Apple TV, and a
Smart TV. We also added eSpark to each iPad. eSpark creates a personalized learning
plan for each student. Using data, each student participates in a ‘quest’ (their
individual goal), which includes videos, apps, a pre and post quiz. It
concludes with a student video to explain what they learned. So far, this
journey has been fun, exciting, scary, and at times, overwhelming. I am still
finding a balance between old and new, tradition versus technology.
Here are 10 things I have
learned so far…
1.
Technology is
here to stay and will always have a place in the classroom.
2.
Things CAN be
done quicker with technology, but not always!
3.
Kids are less
afraid to try something different than adults.
4.
Students have
great ideas to help their learning, even at 5 years old!
5.
Being
flexible is key!
6.
Stay true to
you. I should say it again… Stay true to you!
7.
Trial and
Error is not just for your students.
8.
Paper still
has its place. :)
9.
Twitter is
not just for celebrity gossip.
10.
Trust yourself. Not everyone will understand
what you’re doing but it’s important that you believe in your methods and in
yourself!
