Before this course, I viewed technology as tools designed to enhance student engagement. Now, I understand it to be something more intentional and able to make learning accessible and collaborative. Using technology as a tool for comprehension rather than being reliant on it as a source to teach through makes the teaching and learning process much more meaningful. 

I think another aspect of my learning this semester is how there are readily available resources out there, for free, that are created for teachers. The notion of teaching is very overwhelming. Creating an engaging class community that incorporates enticing, inquiry based learning while following curriculum and meeting the diverse needs in the classroom feels too big. But when you consider the technology available, let alone the created templates and lesson resources, the prospect becomes a little more manageable. I understand that much of being a teacher is continuously integrating new resources and adapting lessons to your learners, but the mixture of being new to the career path and a mass amount of options is intimidating. This course has helped quell some of these anxieties by having us investigate different technologies. Using MagicSchool AI was super helpful in creating lesson plans and activities. I think the pro version will be a valuable tool to use during the first few years of teaching, especially as we continue to see AI evolve. 

I think AI will continue to be an excellent resource to help some of the monotonous tasks of planning. As the technology changes, as with anything, so will the way we teach and interact with it. It is important for educators to stay grounded in their teaching philosophy and know the impact of their role. Ideally, district and school policies aid educators with their direction and growth.

Starting this course, I had two key questions in my mind. Below are the questions with my responses as we are wrapping up: 

1) What kind of learning experiences do I want to create?

    In my future classroom, I hope learning is collaborative, encouraged, personal, and transformative. My personal philosophy is that all education is productive; becoming more educated in a topic will not be detrimental. That being said, I hope to facilitate learning experiences where students feel safe to learn and explore the unknown. I want to have resources available to help them learn. Technology can be a great fit for this. Students can use tech to find information and sort their thinking.  

    2) How can technology support inquiry and connection?

      I think inquiry comes pretty naturally to children. There is so much of the world that they are learning all the time. Social interactions, language, growth and impact, it is all new and trying to amalgamate with what they already know. The role I imagine technology playing is to be paired with inquiry and to be used to find and demonstrate knowledge. Whether that be through research or presentation, technology allows for inquiry to go deeper in a variety of ways rather than a singular limiting resource. 

      In conclusion

      The journey of being an educator is full of continuous learning, shaped by reflection, experimentation, and connection. This class has helped me narrow the overabundance of information while filling my teacher toolkit.