Final Reflection.

I thought EDUC 2040 was an extremely necessary course for any educator to take. In the changing field of education, how teacher’s relate with parents and with students needs to be evaluated. While I came into this class with the firm belief that the interpersonal relationship between the teacher and the student is the most important factor in a child’s education, I have come to realize that technology can enhance that relationship rather than inhibit the conversation. Running a blog was eye opening for me, because I had no idea how easy it was. Blogspot makes it very simple to post videos and games that have been uploaded to other servers. I learned how to make podcasts, which will be particularly helpful if a student has to be out of class for a long amount of time. I also thought about how to teach my students about the reliability of internet sources, a very important method considering the amount of information being transferred electronically. Finally, I learned how to create a professional-looking syllabus that is clear and concise. What I took away from this class is that every good 21st century educator needs a solid understanding of the technology that his/her students will be using. Not only does it help the teacher transfer information, it helps the teacher understand the world that his students live in. While I still doubt the use of the teacher creating his own video, I can see how the students creating their own videos would help. YouTube is a phenomenal device for both student and teacher. My place in this class was that of resident cynicist who was eventually converted to the good side of technology. I now understand that I need to use technology in my classroom to communicate with every student and whatever parent is willing to visit my site.

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