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Ued 496 Isabella Szczur Student Teaching Rationale and Reflection Paper 2
Ued 496 Isabella Szczur Student Teaching Rationale and Reflection Paper 2
Ued 496 Isabella Szczur Student Teaching Rationale and Reflection Paper 2
Introduction
When considering the content taught it secondary classrooms one does not always
recognize how different subjects can apply to a lesson. People do not tend to notice the ways in
which these subjects are intertwined with one another as a part of the learning goals in a
Looking around in a modern day classroom, it is easy to see how technology has become
a staple in everyday learning. Due to its widespread influence and impact, it plays an important
role in the classroom setting. Teachers will use it for a variety of different activities and lesson
styles, often finding additional online resources beneficial to the classroom. Many school
systems will issue out IPads or Chrome Books for their students to either take home or use in
class. As the years have passed technology has improved and become more integrated into
society as well as everyday life. As a result teachers and schools often come together to create a
learning environment consistent with the use of technology outside the classroom. Technology is
an extremely useful tool to have in a classroom. It can help to provide numerous different
opportunities to learn and foster new understandings on different topics. Ultimately it helps both
teachers and the students by providing another pathway to resources which benefit all those
involved in learning.
Conservationists Ask Court to Stop Border Wall Construction.” This article deals with the
ongoing current event of Donald Trump’s presidency as well as how the federal court system is
being asked to intervene. This article will be used in an upcoming lesson with my students as a
Integration of technology and media resources 3
warm up. The reason for the selection of this artifact is that it provides an excellent example of
how the system of checks and balances work in our government. It also reinforces the material
students have previously learned about and discussed. During my student teaching I have found
that often most students are not actively engaged in knowing about current political events. As
such their knowledge about what is going on in the presidency can be limited. By providing the
students this article and other similar articles to read as a warm up, the teacher can provide an
opportunity for them to read up on what is going on. In addition to the reading the students will
also be performing an activity called “notice and note” based on it. They will use this as a way to
reinforce and apply what they are reading, as well as critically think about it. This warm up is all
done digitally and will be submitted online through Schoology. The article activity implements
technology by allowing to use their Chrome Books and create a digital online summarization of
what they learned from the article. As a result they are using technology as a tool to help them
better understand the material and reinforce what they have already learned about their rights, the
teacher. The sheet describes the expectations and requirements for the group project the students
will be working on. They are going to be split into groups and will research their assigned
Supreme Court case. Each group has at least one video link for their case that they are supposed
to watch and reference. As they work together to create the online Google Slideshow, their only
communication can be through the comment feature. This allows them to silently work together
and independently as they are all spread out across the room. It allows for the students to get
hands on experience as they learn more about their specific Supreme Court case. They are able to
begin applying their previous knowledge and research their questions with outside sources.
Integration of technology and media resources 4
Ultimately, I believe that this artifact is useful as it is allows for a technology based learning
opportunity through the use of resources such as Google and YouTube. These will benefit the
students as it gives them another way to become more familiar with not just their assignment, but
The artifacts mentioned are useful as they provide examples of technology in the
classroom. The first allows an opportunity to keep students updated on current events while
applying previous knowledge about what they are reading. The second allows for the students to
learn more about the Supreme Court cases which have left an impact on our lives today. Through
the use of Google Slides, students are able to convey what they have learned. They are able to
work with one another independently outside of the classroom setting. Overall both of these
artifacts fit well with the chosen competency. They provide learning opportunities and
technology has drastically increased. As I reflect on my schooling experience, the use and
importance of technology was something that I did not often recognize before I began my
teaching journey. Looking back at it now I can recognize and appreciate the effort my teachers
went to in order to better help the students understand the material. Simple resources such as
YouTube videos can go a long way in providing a different way of understanding or reinforcing
material. Technology is of course not just limited to things such as the internet or Google. Items
classroom. These are commonly used by teachers to help convey the information needed and
believe that we often consider how dependent we are on technology until it does not cooperate
with us. In my practicum placement the teacher rarely used the internet as it was highly
unreliable and often did not work for days at a time. In order to accommodate for the lack of
internet, he provided different alternative activities for the students to use which would not
require online research in the school building. I remember from my time in high school how
easily a lesson could go wrong if the projector bulb burned out or if the Smartboard was not
calibrated properly. Although technology can be a wonderful influence and is a necessary aspect
of the classroom, the teacher should be prepared in case something were to happen.
In my own future classroom I want to apply what I have learned about this competency.
As I researched and reflected upon what I wanted to convey, I found a fascinating article
discussing technology in the classroom. The article explained that despite technology playing
and beginning teachers” (Tondeur, van Braak, Sang, Voogt, Fisser, & Ottenbreit-Leftwich,
2012). Many programs have struggled with the issue of how to teach “in order to enhance human
potential and improve teaching with available technologies” (Goktas, Yildirim & Yildirim, 2008,
p.168) and how to prepare teachers for this. With as much technology available to teachers now,
it is simply a matter of how does one best apply what they have? Part of that comes from
teaching future teachers what they need to know about the technology and how to use it. By
integrating it throughout the teacher education curriculum one can guarantee a future teacher will
be far more comfortable with using it. There also needs to be an understanding between the
teachers and the school about the use of technology. If a school wishes to “enable teacher
educators to create an appropriate environment for future students” (Barton & Haydn, 2006)
Integration of technology and media resources 6
through the use of technology, then the school administration needs to be prepared for the costs
that come with this. This may include developing a plan for technology which reflects the
direction and vision the school wishes to go toward. This could also include providing resources
such as training and funds for the teachers to use the technology properly. Overall I believe that
having the opportunity to practice the technology and implement it successfully in the classroom
will only benefit will better help teachers to reach their students in more than one way.
References
Barton, R., & Haydn, T. (2006). Trainee teachers views on what helps them to use information
Goktas, Y., Yildirim, Z., & Yildirim, S. (2008). A review of ICT related courses in pre-service
Tondeur, J., Braak, J. V., Sang, G., Voogt, J., Fisser, P., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2012).