Effective teachers model and apply the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS•S) as they design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional practice; and provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community.
The artifact I am using to demonstrate this standard is a lesson plan created by two classmates and me. We went into a kindergarten classroom to teach this lesson based on digital citizenship. Technology is becoming extremely relevant all over the world, especially in education. As future educators, young children need to begin educating themselves on how to use technology appropriately. We simplified the idea of digital citizenship and talked about “ways we can be kind online.” Before we asked students this, we asked for some examples of technology, and many students gave examples. We turned the mini-lesson into a craft where they could write a way to be kind online. We then had them cut and color out their “app” and stick it to the “phone” we created. The activity helped them understand the importance of being safe and kind online and was fun for them. They were also required to write a sentence, so writing was implemented into the lesson. The Technology standard means that educators use this tool to advance student learning. The lesson we taught involved using and implementing technology, which they will all need to know. I felt accomplished at the end of the lesson, and all the students gave us a thumbs-up, saying they had fun.
Teaching this lesson helped me grow as an educator. It was the first lesson I had ever taught, so it gave me an idea of how it goes. It also helped me to expand my pedagogical knowledge. It helped me understand that many of these students require different learning environments. For example, I had one student who was very distracted by the students around her. Because of this, we had her work alone with me one-on-one, which helped her change her environment. Every time I teach a lesson, I will improve.
This artifact is a Google site I created in EDU110. This Google site includes several tools I will be able to implement in my classroom. The technology standards mean you can successfully implement technology in the classroom. In this class, I have had the opportunity to discover some fantastic, valuable tools. I created two pages on my site, one for tools in this class and one for literacy tech tools. Both pages include resources that I will use in the classroom. I want to teach younger kids and special ed as well. The literacy tech tools will be beneficial when I am trying to engage little ones who may struggle with reading or literacy. I have been lucky to see some of these tools in the classroom, such as audiobooks and YouTube kids.
As an educator, I am confident I can successfully implement technology in my classroom. Creating this site has made me realize how many resources are available to help educators engage their students. By exploring the impact of technology in the classroom, I have learned that implementing it correctly can make your job a lot easier. I have gained a lot of knowledge from creating this site and this class. Implementing technology is not easy, but I now have the resources to start working on how I will do it.
