Final Reflection
I
know I have come a long way when it comes to technology thanks to this class
and you Dr. Gross. This class forced me
step out of my comfort zone and start interacting with different types of
technology. I can honestly say that at
times, I felt like I had been living under a rock. How did I not know about Infogr.am or
Ease.ly? Learning about the different social
media, and how they can be used as learning platforms by keeping ourselves and
students connected was so educational.
Similarly, working with the different Webb apps like Animoto,
Piktochart, Screencast-O-Matic, Pixton and all other apps we were exposed to during
the course was fun and educational as well.
Sharing the knowledge I learned with fellow peers and learning from all
of you through your blogs was rewarding and insightful at the same time.
I
really do think that getting familiar with the different tools was fulfilling even
though some proved to be challenging. If
I had to pick favorites, two come to mind:
Animoto and Screencast-O-Matic primarily because they offer such a
unique way of presenting information. I
loved how easy working with Animoto was and then seeing the end result was
truly amazing. I feel like Animoto would
be a tool students will enjoy because they tend to gravitate towards videos already. In the classroom, videos can be used to
introduce a topic, as a re-teach, to a lesson previously covered, as
enrichment, support etc. As a library
media specialist, I would utilize videos to teach procedures, how to use a Web
app, advertise a section of the library, upcoming activities, and lastly
showcase books and resources.
Screencast-O-Matic
was a bit challenging, but worth the trouble.
Screencasts also offer a unique and creative way to communicate with
your students. They engage students and
enhance their learning. On the plus
side, it is a great tool for teachers as well because once done it can be
accessed by students at anytime and from anywhere. I can see myself incorporating both Animoto
and Screencast-O-Matic in the library and currently in the classroom.
Vine
and Instagram were my least favorite. I
feel like these two social media platforms did not lend themselves as easily as
the rest for the classroom and education as whole. I favor using Facebook, Twitter or Blogger
for the sharing of ideas, collaborating, and learning through
connectedness. I feel that learning by
staying connected is without a doubt extremely beneficial for students. Having
them discuss topics through a blog, or record audios through Soundcloud or Podbean
is wonderful. As a whole, the experience
gained in this course has definitely broaden my horizons and provided me with
learning opportunities I can offer my students.
