My Technological Abilities - Epilogue

When I started this class, I thought that integrating technology basically just meant having students research on the internet instead of using a card catalogue. I had no idea how much one can do or learn while integrating technology in the classroom. There are innumerable free tools for creating presentations, videos, blogs, and more. I previously had not considered if or how I would integrate them into my classroom. I had only a little bit of exposure to the topic of fair use prior to this class. I had some vague idea of what it was, but I never really knew the details of it. My biggest takeaway from this class was what constitutes fair use, and the need to properly cite works when I use them. I had the misconception that if it’s on the Internet, it’s able to be used freely. This class has taught me that that is not at all true. I’m fortunate to have had this lesson from class; it may have saved me from a serious copyright infringement problem later in life. I would like to look into CIPA and COPPA more. I take great interest in censorship and privacy, and I want my students to be protected while they use the Internet in my classroom. I would also love to investigate whom it is that creates these filters and try to liberalize some of the content that is filtered out. I believe that censorship is generally a bad thing (though it is at times necessary). I am grateful that this class brought COPPA and CIPA to my attention because I intend to look into them more. Having now finished EDUC 422, my biggest takeaway is that using technology in the classroom with students can be fun and educational. For most students who have grown up in the early aughts, technology is intuitive and not difficult to learn. I’m confident that students will enjoy projects that embrace technology and ultimately learn more in classes that successfully integrate it. I created a movie about a topic I was interested in and had a lot of fun doing it. It turned out to be educational for the audience I showed it to, and best of all, learning the new program (iMovie) never seemed like work. It was fun to create the video, and iMovie would be a great tool for students to use to make a project about one of their passions that they could then show to their classmates.