Final Reflection

This course is entitled "Introduction to Educational Technology" but ironically, it is my final course at TAMU-C. I've had many other educational technology courses throughout this process, so this class didn't end up being an introduction exactly; however, I did have the opportunity to look at this concept in new ways and I was introduced to some new "toys" to experiment further with. Something that was different about this course was how practical it was and how we created projects that we can actually continue to use and build upon. I loved how the course wasn't just ABOUT technology...it WAS technology. I think this is how we have to approach it in our classrooms. Students have to demonstrate their learning with technology because someday in their jobs and careers and futures, they will have demonstrate their work productivity with technology.

One of my "Aha" moments came with the creation of the e-portfolio. At first, I wasn't so keen on this idea because I had never seen an example of one. I still would like to see more examples of great portfolios, but the important thing is that as I compiled my work into my portfolio, I began to realize what a powerful tool it could be in our classrooms and schools. I would really love to see this concept grow and develop in our schools as an evaluation and accountability tool for students that is much more authentic than our current grading system. Parents could also access these portfolios and see what their kids are doing....teachers could look back on work from previous years to track growth. The possibilities are huge! I really liked learning about this idea and will definitely be revisiting it and expanding upon it in the future.

This class opened my eyes to some of the cool things that are out there that are free and user-friendly, yet can have such a big impact on the way we "do" education. So many people are afraid of technology, but I think if they all had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on course such as this, they would realize it is not as difficult as they might think...I think they would leave empowered and interested in exploring more!

Thanks for such a positive experience with educational technology! This was definitely one of the most fun courses and a positive one to exit my time at TAMU-C on! :-)