Week 8 Reflection

The GAME plan I developed and followed throughout the Integrating Technology Across the Content Areas course here at Walden University really helped me integrate technology into all the content areas I teach at my middle school as the project upgrade teacher. I was excited to bring what I learned to school each week and share with other teachers I work with. It is my job to implement technology into Science, Math, Social Studies in grades 6 -8. Having just started this new position in December and not having input from the previous teacher, this course came along at the perfect time. I find technology encourages students to be engaged in lessons. They have grown up with technology all around them. In fact a wider variety of technologies are in use now than when I was a child and I do not consider myself old. Technology has just evolved that quickly since I was in elementary school. Computers and the Internet are effective tools to support content learning and critical thinking skills. I have learned that preparing students to be able to answer questions, solve real world problems collaboratively in groups with the aide of technology will prepare them for the future.
This class has taught me to be a self-directed learner by assessing my current technology compentencies and monitoring the steps I take to integrate technology into my own class. I have written weekly about how I am staying up to date with current emerging technologies and constantly assessed where I am and where I want to be. Integrating technology into my lessons was not aways easy but setting a GAME plan, working with other cooperating teachers, I was able to take action and meet my goals. Monitoring my progress weekly in my reflective blog postings allowed me to evaulate whether my goals were achieved as well as how I can extend what I learned to new situations/lesson in the future.