One of my favorite projects was the Digital Diagram. I love how simple it was to create a great visual of a concept with a lot of little piece of information. I can definitely see using this project in the mathematics classroom, if I am lucky enough to have access to this resource. Students can use this program to create their own diagrams. Hopefully, the students would remember the information better when they organize it in a way that is meaningful to them.
Our project with Interactive White Boards was also one of my favorite this semester. This project has such practical applications for our futures as teachers. Again, if I am lucky enough to have an IWB in my classroom, I would definitely use it daily. It was so much fun to create the flipchart. There is so much creativity involved in making a flipchart. I want to learn so much more about making these for my classroom! One of the biggest disappointments with this project, however, was the lack of secondary mathematics resources floating around. I wish there were more examples and resource packs for my subject. Hopefully, as more people learn about creating resources, more secondary mathematics resources will become available.
As I look back on my progress throughout the semester, I have to say that I have come a long way in understanding how technology is used in the classroom. One of the most exciting ways to use technology in the classroom is a classroom website and blog. As we complete projects we have been updating our classroom websites to reflect our work. I love my website, and I love the idea of using one in my future classroom. This is a great way to communicate with parents and students, especially about the assignments we will be completing. I also included a class calendar to keep students updated on deadlines and due dates. Blogs are also an important tool for teachers. Blogs can help teachers reflect on the classroom experience and on the lessons that are taught. Having a running log of these experiences can help teachers to plan for reteaching and remember especially effective lessons.
Overall, I believe it is very important for teachers, now more than ever, to have skill with technology. Technology is so relevant to the lives of our students, even the youngest of students. For this reason, we all must know how to use technology to engage students in meaningful learning. I will continue to pursue more knowledge in technology!