Reflection (EDUC - 6712I - 4)

After going through this course, the most striking revelation that I have about teaching new literacy skills is how easy they can be aligned with benchmarks for our general curriculum. However, I did struggle with trying to figure out how I can adapt an inquiry research for my students, who are special education students in an MD program. I will revisit this idea and try to adapt, because I feel that many of the skills taught here will be good for my students. It could be done in a collaboration with a gen ed classroom where my students would be paired up other students and they could work together on an inquiry research problem.

I think that through this course, I am more aware of the needs to start teaching students how to think critically about the information they find, especially online since that seems to be the most popular way that students access information; the earlier the better. I have worked with teachers that utilize the Internet for research projects, but they do not teach them how to find quality information that is reliable. Student’s, even high school students (as I have addressed this problem with my son who is 16), have the idea that if it’s on the Internet then it is true and unless they are taught what to look for and how to determine a websites reliability, finding reliable information is nothing more than the luck of the draw.

I think that I would like to try to do some kind of inquiry research project in collaboration with a gen ed teacher next school year. I may wait until later in the year to begin this as I am not only a new teacher, but the program was moved to a new building for next year and I want time to develop a relationship with other teachers. As for exact professional development, I would like to further explore different types of technology and its application for the classroom. Because it is more applicable to my classroom, I would like to focus my study on assistive technology. They have so much wonderful programs and devices that are used to adapt and modify curriculum to individual needs, but I don’t know how to use a lot of what they have to offer. Actually, this is where I think this is the direction I’d like my career to go, but I am just beginning my teaching career. I’d also like to learn How to use technology such as Web 2.0, podcasting, digital imaginary (using video editing software), etc.