Reflection- EDUC 6712

As I reflect on the past eight weeks I have had the opportunity to take a closer look at myself, as a teacher, and evaluate my teaching methods with regards to the new literacy skills. I believe it is essential for me, in this fast-paced changing world of technology, to prepare my students for what awaits them in the future. Ian Jukes and Bruce Macdonald state that “the primary task of the educational system must be to give learners the right tools and provide them with a critical mind; so that they can ask the right questions and make the right connections” (Jukes & Macdonald, 2007, p. 1). It is no longer just necessary to read, write, speak, and calculate. Students must also have the capability to tackle new skills such as questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating (Laureate, 2009).

My most striking revelation within this course was the amount of detail involved with each literary skill. I did not realize the depth of each area and the tools available for students to become productive members of society. For example, I was enlightened as I learned to become a better researcher. As a teacher, I became more confident using various search engines and followed steps to determine the authenticity of information found within the great world-wide Web. I now plan to pass this information onto my students. While accomplishing this task, it will be extremely important to model for them and give my class numerous opportunities to explore and practice using each skill in order for them to be successful. I will provide experiences that stimulate their curiosity and build confidence in investigating, problem solving, collaborating, and communicating. Of course, I will not assume that all students have mastered each skill. Through various forms of assessment (formative and summative) students will be observed, questioned, and perform self-evaluations. This will occur throughout the school year to allow me to focus on the students who do not have a full understanding of the information being presented and provide interventions to ensure success. It will also allow me to challenge those who have met expectations and need to focus on higher-level thinking skills.

Currently my school district has developed a technology committee that is reviewing and developing technology goals for our elementary school. Although I am not a part of the committee, my goal is to share my knowledge from this course with fellow colleagues and students. The information I have to share will definitely benefit my grade level team, as we construct lessons to incorporate into our current curriculum and meet the goals set by our technology committee.

References

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program Four. Teaching Online Literacy Skills [Motion Picture]. Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the classroom. Baltimore: Author.