Reflection

During my last graduate course I realized that I need to expand my experience with technology and teach more of the skills I have to my students. If I can show my talents and technological knowledge to my students during my instruction it gives me credibility and sometimes impresses my students, so that is great. However, if I can show my students how to do these things themselves and make them stick, that is a better application of technology. Even if I am teaching a student to use editing software that I know will never be a video editor, the fact that that student is learning how to use something besides a web browser can help them immensely. In the past I have showed students how to accomplish a task or I have even done it for them, but I never made them repeat the task while explaining the details so they understood why it worked the way it did. For example, whenever I had students want to utilize the green screen in their videos I would help them set up the shot and then quickly walk them through the chromakey effect. In the interest of time I would never explain exactly how the chromakey works and the concepts behind it, I would just show them how to do it and move on.
Instead of teaching students how to do certain tasks, I need to be focused on teaching them concepts. Instead of using technological tools to help myself accomplish tasks and become organized, I need to show my students how I use the tools and demonstrate how the tools can help them as well. I am not sure that the increased use of technology will cause me to delay my retirement like the teachers Dr. Thornburg mentions in his video, but I know it will help my students get interested in my course.
I will continue to expand my experiences with technology by trying new programs, exploring new websites, and bringing those experiences to the classroom. While I have some newer equipment, much of my video gear is outdated and students have a lot of trouble using it. They are discouraged by the quality of the equipment and it has a negative effect on the quality of videos they produce. I also do not have a way for the classes to see each others work because of a lack of server space and blocks on streaming media sites, so students cannot evaluate the work of their peers. Sometimes I am limited to access to technological tools by a lack of funding or district firewalls, but in the next two years I can overcome some of these obstacles. Through sales of DVDs, and possibly donations and grants, I can purchase some of the technology I would like for my students to have experience with. I am due for a technology refresh in the spring, so the money I have been spending to catch up can now be spent to get ahead to the bleeding edge of technology again.
Once I have the technology to create better quality videos and make them accessible at school as “social media” I can inspire my students to create works they can be proud of.