What I Have Learned

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

In reading back through my blog posts over the semester, it struck me that my evolution through the semester went from creating technology projects that are teacher-directed, to finally handing the baton to students with a project that gives students the agency to create using technology. Students creating hits the highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. But it’s good that my work was an evolution, because we don’t always want to go straight to the highest level of Bloom’s … we want to hit different spots on the taxonomy.

Image Source: Fractus Learning

Some examples of teacher-directed activities I created at the beginning of the semester are the Interactive Documents I created here as a HyperDoc and here using Google Slides, this Prezi, and this EdPuzzle. I am proud of all of these projects, and I think they provide a variety of interesting ways to lead students to information. These activities ask questions of students to assess learning. I also reviewed technology used to assess students with Formative and Quizizz. These formative assessments asked questions that fell at the Knowledge and Comprehension Level of Bloom's Taxonomy.

At the end of the semester, I reviewed technology that students themselves can use to create a video using green screen technology, and then integrate that with another platform to publish their creation. On Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy, this falls at the Creating and Sharing levels. I would take this a step further than the geology project I used as an example, and have students create content that synthesizes what they have learned and create a new point of view or new content rather than just summarize information about rock formation.

ISTE Standards

Image Source: ISTE on Twitter

The ISTE Standards is a framework to help educators apply technology to the classroom, with seven different categories of application. One of these standards is the educator as Facilitator, helping students learn through technology. Through my projects, I have used technology as a platform for students to learn, to be in charge of their learning goals, and to design using technology. Another ISTE Standard that I have demonstrated is that of Designer, by providing for learner differentiation, by creating content that aligns with standards, and by providing a learning environment that is engaging. I have also demonstrated the standard of Collaborator, by blogging my experiences and sharing what I have learned with other educators. This is something I enjoy and will continue to do.

Growth for the Future

As a tech savvy teacher in the future, I would like to continue to use an array of technology to implement different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Sometimes I just need to be able to ask a quick question as an exit ticket or during a lesson to see if anyone understood what I am saying. Creative projects take time, and should be used more sparingly. I think to grow and achieve this goal for myself as a teacher working with technology, I should try to incorporate some of the middle levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating) in my technology use as well.