TECHNOLOGY COACHES CREATE AND SUPPORT EFFECTIVE DIGITAL AGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS TO MAXIMIZE THE LEARNING OF ALL STUDENTS.
Reflection:
As a master’s student in the Instructional Technology program, I have used various digital technology tools and resources throughout my learnings. Also, it allowed me to gain and experience effective usage tools in a classroom environment and collaborative learning strategies. Before the master’s course, I thought learning apps, devices, and websites were the primary sources for students’ learnings. However, throughout my master’s program, I came across various other tools to help students gain 4 c’s. Such as learning tools (Immersive reader, Photomath, Minecraft), e-learning tools (Mind map, gamifying scenario’s), enhanced learning tools (Prezi, Quizlet, google classroom), and creative tools like microbit, scratch, and many more.
Considering ISTE standard 3 Digital Age Learning Environments, I believe that all the seven elements mentioned above are important. Each element plays a unique role for the learners. Also, I feel these elements are interlinked with one another. To attain 21st-century skills among students, the elements mentioned above are important to use in their classroom. All these elements develop new purposes within the digital age learning environment. Different technologies and resources are used for various purposes among teachers, students, and schools to build learning connections.
However, I feel that local and global communication with students, parents, peers, and the community is the strongest one among all these elements. I believe that connecting beyond the classroom provides more focus on digital and online technologies. It also makes all the learners globally competent. To be updated on the new technologies, it is important to globally connected. Also, communicating with other teachers and learners will be aware of when and where to use them in different modes of learning. The collaborative learning environment also makes the learner know current global issues and challenges for modern education.
Coming to the most challenging element for me was effective classroom management. I see that the effective use of digital tools in face-to-face or online learning is more important. Some of the factors affecting classroom management are proper usage of tools, technical difficulties, time constraints, language barriers, class size, students’ learning level, etc.; I feel these as challenging because they are difficult to manage in a student-centered classroom. Keeping an eye on all these in a classroom environment is more important. To overcome these challenges, I think planning the activities properly will help me to complete tasks. Also, knowing the learner’s strengths and weaknesses will allow me to create effective lesson plans. I like breakout rooms, think, pair and share, discussion rooms, reflecting on points of interest, etc., which our professors used in our classroom learnings. Such activities will help the learner focus on their knowledge and participate in all classroom activities. Apart from these, I would like to improve listening skills towards others, diverse skills and readiness, and social skills to develop classroom behaviors.
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