Students'+Final+Reflections

You have completed many projects using technology tools in this course as well as learning about pedogical theories, Universal Design for Learning, Assistive Technology and many other topics. Reflecting on your first assignment, your personal philosophy of technology in education (which appears on your HTML page), what has made the most impression on you? Has your opinion of the importance of technology in education changed or remained the same? As you continue on through your teacher training education courses, how do you think your experiences in this class will affect your learning and your work?Post your reflections to this page (or on the 2nd page). Indicate your first name and first initial of your last name and be sure to put a horizontal rule (line) after your posting. This needs to be completed by **Monday, May 23.**
 * FINAL THOUGHTS**

Link to Page 2

My personal philosophy has not changed about the use of technology in the classroom. I really believe that technology is needed to help students learn the material and to allow them to view multiple perspectives. Interactive websites are also extremely necessary for science teachers because sometimes it is impossible to have an experiment or a dissection in the actual classroom. Experiments and dissections are a very key part in the education of our students in the science fields. Poverty and schools with less money are unable to go on field trips and have specific supplies in the classroom and so the technology allows the teachers to give the students the full experience. If anything my personal philosophy about technology has increased because I now have the ability to use more technology in my classroom and I now have different types of technology that I am able to use in the classroom. I think this class will make it easier for me to differentiate in my classroom and I will use this everyday in my class. I really enjoyed the class and I learned a lot about the different uses of technology in the classroom and how they can help both teachers and students.
 * Steven Barsotti**

Using instructional technology in the classroom is essential for the success of today’s students. At first I was apprehensive to use technology in secondary English, but as I learn more and more ways to think creatively with technology it has become easier to understand and influential on my teaching style. Throughout the course I have learned many ways to integrate technology in everyday lessons. Technology is essential for incorporating all kinds of learners, assisting with potential learning disabilities, and keeping the students motivated. I’ve found that using technology stimulates the students to want to succeed and keeps life interesting as a teacher. I feel I will use many of the websites, ideas, and information we discussed to improve learning in the classroom. Before taking this course, I understood technology was important, but I have come to embrace it and feel more comfortable exploring new options. I hope that using technology as part of classroom learning everyday will keep the students engaged and successful and keep me motivated to find new and exciting ways to teach.
 * Rachel Cyr** Reflection

I believe using technology in the classroom is effective and keeps students engaged in what is going on. I was not really aware of all of the programs designed to help teachers make lesson plans using technology, but this class gave me many tools that I can use. My philosophy of education has not changed because I still believe that children growing up now are lost without technology. They will find other ways to entertain themselves in the classroom when they should really be focused on the lesson. Technology is also a way to help all different kinds of learners because there are interactive games and stories that utilize different aspects of learning. It also gives children a chance to get hands on with the lesson which in turn will help it stick in their mind. I will definitely be using technology in my classroom because I too get bored with lectures day in and day out and the use of it helps shake things up.
 * Samantha Parry** Reflection

My personal philosophy of technology in education stayed the same- I still think technology is an imperative tool to keep the attention of students and increase academic skills. As I continue through my teacher training education courses, the resources and technology tools I found in ISTC 301 will help significantly help my work for other classes. As a future Special Education teacher, I found the Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning resourses to be extremely helpful. Before taking ISTC 301 I was completely unaware of all the free resources available to students and pre service teachers. Since I am planning on teaching autistic children, I was apprehensive about my ability to control a classroom and keep my students engaged, but after discussing how to improve the learning environment of the classroom by implementing technology that adheres to all learning types, I feel confident in my future teaching. I am now prepared to take on the challenges that await me, but with my new knowledge about technology, I am sure I will be able to get my students excited to come to class everyday and learn something new. I really enjoyed ISTC 301 and I'm very grateful to have learned about the different uses of technology in the classroom. I will definitely extend what I learned in this class to the lessons I create for my own class in the near future.
 * Stephanie Magistro:**

My personal philosophy has become a little more broad since learning about all the different technological advances. I don't think I was aware of how helpful and useful technology can be to students. I think that my opinon of the importance of technology in the classroom has changed a little bit. Technology is a great tool and can help disabled or disadvantaged students. I did not realize to what extent technology could help in the learning environment before. This class has definitely opened my eyes to try new things and to incorporate technology into my lesson plans. I found this class to be very helpful and informative. I learned some great tools such as making the wordle and the voki online. I think students would love to make these things and they can be used in the classroom. I think my experiences from this class will only benefit my work as a teacher and educator. There are so many great opportunities for kids to learn and explore with technology, but also have fun while they are doing it. I am looking forward to explore new technology and see what types of tools would be beneficial to the area of education I am looking to work in.
 * Marissa Orichowskyj**

My personal philosophy of technology in education has stayed the same. I have known that technology can be a fantastic tool in educating young children but after taking this class, I have realized even more ways how this is effective. As a future teacher, I found the digital story to be the most effective technology tool I will use in my classroom. I did not realize how simple it was to make a video with information, pictures and audio. After learning how to do that in this class, I realized how great it can be in a classroom. Children love the idea of watching a video. In the classroom, I can turn off the lights and let my students eat a snack, all while they are watching a video I have made about a certain topic or lesson. Children do not find this boring since it is better than me standing in the front of the room lecturing. I think a digital story caters to those students who are more visual leaners, such as myself and many students will find it better to learn from. As a future Special Education teacher, I also got a lot out of the assistive technology assignment. I was able to explore many different technology products which will assist students who have disabilites. I want to help as many students as I can and make sure I teach them everything I can based on their level of learning. After taking this ISTC 301 class, I have learned many new ideas that technology can support. I can't imagaine teaching in a classroom without technology and I will rely heavily on the different features I have learned in this class.
 * Heather Kravitz**

My personal philisophy has expanded to where I believe that technology is very useful in the classroom. I was not aware that technology could be so useful, because students are growing up around technology all the time. They are familiar with it, and they benefit from it. It is even great for students with a disability because videos can help students who need repetition, visuals, and audio to learn. As a future teacher, I will encorporate technology into my classroom by showing videos, leeting the students use computers, and much more to facilitate their learning. I believe that students can benefit from the use of technology, so I will use it to help them, but I will not allow it to replace learning in a traditional manner. Technology is a great resource, but it can be detremintal if overused, so I will be sparing about it. I will do my best to teach students using technology, in a way that will help them learn, but not take over their lives.
 * Lisa Girardi**

My personal philosophy has remained the same. I know that technology is an effective way for students to learn and to grow intellectually in the classroom. By using technology students are adapting to the lifestyle that the United States has become. In one of our first classes we talked about technology and how Americans need to have that feeling of "instant gratification." Students also need some type of gratification in the classrooom and that is where technology comes into play. Students have fun with technology and it is also a great resource and a great way for them to learn. When I enter the classroom as a teacher, I will be sure to incorporate fun activites through technology in my lesson plans. It is fun for me to explain as the teacher and it also grasps and holds the students' attention so they are not bored throughout a lecture about mathematics. Videos, online games, other props, and hopefully a Smart Board will all be technologic things I hope to incorporate in my teaching. As I continue through my education classes, I will also use more technology. I now know how to make movies, add narration to things, where to find fun, educational games, and also just how to be a better teacher. Although my philosophy has remained the same, ISTC 301 has taught more complex and interesting views about technology in the classroom.
 * Tim Walsh**

In this class what has made the largest impression on me is the vast amount of resources, that are free and useful, that are available to educators. As far as my personal philosophy on technology in the classroom it has not changed, I believed then as I do now that it will be vital. This is especially true because I will be entering a field which previously been entirely based in physical books, English, and now as the world becomes more and more paperless I'm sure I will be forced to adapt to this as well. Students may be using Ereaders and other technologies in class, and I need to know how to keep up and make the lesson cohesive with their educational tools. As I continue on my course to becoming an educator I believe that what I have learned in this class, ISTC 301, will make my future classes easier. That is because now I have knowledge about tools that I can use for future presentations, projects, or various other assignments, and I also possess the knowledge about how to use them effectively and with ease. I know that I will feel more confident in my progress, and hopefully what I learn in other classes will build on the foundation that I have gained from this class.
 * Kaitlyn Jones**

My opinion of the importance of technology in education has definitely remained the same. In fact, I think that the importance of it has heightened in my mind because this class showed me so many different ways to use technology in the classroom. What has made the most impression on me, based on my personal philosophy of technology in education, is that there are many ways for students to be engaged in their learning, but still have fun while doing it. Using technology, which we have learned the generation we will be teaching is fluent in technology, is an excellent way to keep students interested in learning. As I continue the teacher training education courses I will definitely use what I have learned in this class. I will use audacity, making a video, voki, and podcast I am sure in my classes. Now I feel like I will have more ideas for work and I know that technology is really helpful in helping me learn as well as others.
 * Christine O’Reilly **

This class has been a very informative one for me. I was completely unaware of the sheer amount of free resources that are available, and just how simple it is to accomplish some things that can be very helpful and useful in a classroom setting. I now look back and think of new ways that I might one day be able to incorporate some of these into my own teachings, and have played around with it in creating some little stories for my family. I have learned the benefits to supplemental types of instruction that can help students with different learning techniques and have become more considerate to their specific needs. Most importantly, I have learned that I should not be afraid to stray from traditional styles and open to new ideas as they come about.
 * Bryan Wohlgemuth**

**Kayla Riffle** The biggest impact this class has made on my educational philosophy is just how much technology can be used in the classroom. This class has opened my eyes to how many free programs can be used to teach and learn lessons. I knew there were a lot of technology related resources out there but I was not aware of how many and how fun they can be. I was also surprised that I used knowledge gained in this class in most of my other classes this semester! My opinion on technology has not exactly changed, but I have gained a whole new respect for the importance and vastness of the technology world. I am a huge supporter of differentiated instruction and I know that UDL supports technology but I wasn't necessarily aware of the enormous amount of technological resources available to me as a future teacher and student.

At the beginning of the semester I was kind of resenting this class. With all the requirements needed for Secondary Ed along with English for my major I was simply annoyed thinking this would be a waste of time. Looking back I just laugh at myself and my laziness. This class has opened my eyes to more teaching technology tools and will definitely improve my career as a teacher--an effective teacher at that. Because of this class, I learned how little I actually know about technology. I've grown up in the computer/technology era and am constantly surrounded by gagets and gizmos, but I learned that technology just keeps improving every second--literally, and through this class I gained some of those seconds back. I really loved the digital story project and the Keystone Assignment where I got to use the electronic whiteboard. The technology taught in this class was definitely not a waste of time like I had closed-mindedly thought prior to the completion of this course. I will be a better teacher because of this course. It has inspired me to use several different learning techniques in the classroom so the students can learn to the best of their ability. It has also inspired me to continue to search for new technology tools in teaching and to continue to educate myself as the generations of students change and grow as well. This course has helped me change my mentality on the world of technology and teaching.
 * Sarah Brown**

As I read over my previous opinion of using technology in the classroom, I realize that I had no idea how many options their are for all different types of learners. I wrote before that I was more interested in giving students the opportunity to put pen to paper. But through this semester I have learned about all of the options students have through technology. The digital story, the keystone assignment, and the podcast assignments were very helpful. These three options made me realize that there is a lot for students to do that provide them with amazing learning opportunities. Not only are they learning about the subject, they are gaining more experience with technology. There are a lot of programs to be used that stimulate the mind and are applicable to every type of learner.
 * Maura McDaniels**


 * Paul Donnelly**

The part of the class that has had the most impact on me is the keystone assignment with the smart board. Not only is it a key tool in presenting power points but it can do so much more. I have a greater respect for technology in the classroom while I still think that there is so much that can be learned outside of the classroom, technology has helped bring a lot of what's outside to inside the class. With movies, power points, virtual field trips and more technology is proving to be more and more useful. I don't know if my experiences in this class will have a profound impact on me. A lot of what we did seemed unnecessary. While vokis and glogsters are fun I failed to see their educational importance that I couldn't do via another medium. Since I will be a history teacher I will help make the past come alive through the use of technology. Through videos and speeches and other forms of history, I will make history not seem as something boring and long ago but something that is continually happening and how it has impacted our country and our lives. ___

Taking this course helped me better understand my knowledge of using technology in the classroom. It showed me more ways on how to incorporate technology in a classroom setting and how I can use technology to teach students. Some examples are the podcasts, digital stories, and other assignments we had to do. So this course expanded my knowledge of technology. I believe that more teachers should put into their lesson plan some sort of technology to make students aware that it is expanding more and more through the years.I alwaus said that technology is a fun and easy way for students to learn. I will definetely be using some of the technology skills I learned when I teach. 
 * Johnny Roxanis **