I have been teaching for almost three years now and feel that I have done an adequate job of integrating technology into my classroom. I expose my students to computers, the internet and software programs that allow them to produce projects for my class. However, this class has opened my eyes to a few things that I would like to share. Just because you have your students get on computers and research stuff that you are covering in class and then present their information in some way does not mean that they are getting the full effect of technology. Having the ability to come up with questions, search for answers, synthesize and communicate the information they have gathered is a great skill to have. I have not been asking my students to be doing this type of work so far. The other things that I have began to realize the importance of due to this class is how easy it is to find information online and not give credit to those people who created that information. I will need to model this type of behavior much better in the future for my students.
Professional development goals that I have for the future are to do a more in depth inquiry-based project at least one a year with my students. The skills that they use during these projects are the skills that they are going to need to possess for the 21st century workplace. If we as teachers do not stretch their minds and do not let them settle for complacency, than we can have them ready for whatever comes their way in the future. Not all teachers will follow these same guidelines and it will hurt the students in the long run, but if a few teachers at each school can take it upon themselves to integrate real life skills for their students than they will all be better off for it.
Aaron Davis
