Reflection

As a future educator, it is important to learn how to become the most effective teacher. In order to do that, one must adapt to the ever-changing society, presenting information to students in a relevant way. Thus, part of the education requirements for UAB’s Alternative Master’s Program is to complete a course on computer technology. Knowledge gained from this course is used to make units and activities more appealing, influential, and effective in the classroom. As a result, over the course of this semester, I learned how to use and incorporate technology in such a way that will ultimately help me in becoming a better educator.

Our main area of study in the computer technology course was how to make a unit plan that integrated technology. As a result, one of our first assignments was to create a unit introduction using Microsoft PowerPoint. There was a lot of knowledge that I gained from this assignment. For instance, I learned that the success of a PowerPoint depends on multiple aspects such as the font size, transition, color, and style. I also learned that a PowerPoint is a fresh way to introduce a unit to students. By creating a visual piece of instruction, students are not only able to hear the material but also see it, drawing them into the unit.

Another set of useful tools I learned how to create were student samples. The student samples consisted of a PowerPoint, newsletter, and webpage. For this assignment, we (the teacher) had to pretend to be the student, and create one of each project. From these set of assignments, I discovered that students can use technology in order to further their learning. For example, the PowerPoint, newsletter, and webpage all required for the student to research information about the unit’s material and organize it in a practical way. That being said, I enjoyed learning how to make the students samples because I believe that these tools not only enhance the learning of each student, but also provide a great way for students to have in class presentations.

In addition to a unit introduction and student samples, I also had to learn how to create student and teacher support using the computer. Student support is a instrument used to assist students with the unit, while teacher support is a tool used to assist the teacher with instruction. With the help of technology, each of these activities are made easy and can be a wide variety of materials such as a newsletter, timeline, graphic organizer, etc…. As a result, student and teacher support materials are something that would be easy to include in the classroom.

Finally, all of these things were used to help incorporate technology into our overall unit plan. As a result, I discovered that technology makes a difference between an average unit and a successful unit. By integrating technology into the classroom, the teacher is capturing the student at a different level. Furthermore, the students are learning how to present information in a relevant, organized manner. Therefore, this course has equipped me to become a more effective teacher.