Reflections

What I have Learned: As an ESL teacher, I have discovered that many of the topics that we have discussed are issues that I am dealing with now or have dealt with in the past. The use of more technology  in the classroom is something that has been slowly building momentum since I entered college in the fall of 1998. At that time, the internet was fresh and new, and email was barely heard of.  The widespread use of the internet did not take long to catch on, and before long, after I graduated in 2003, everyone had email accounts including our professors.
Technology, in its many forms, moves fast, and this course helped me to see that there are indeed many forms of technology in the field of education. It does not always pertain to using an electronic device, but could mean how one goes about their daily instruction and lesson delivery methods. For instance, project-based learning (PBL) is one of the most promising trends in educational technology as it helps  students to learn from real life, hands-on experiences. The classroom is a great start, but real learning happens when you are thrown into the fray. PBL teaches students to rely on critical thinking skills and communication in order to complete a task. Such skills are invaluable to be successful in this competitive world.
My goals as a professional have not changed. I will incorporate some of what I have leaned in this course as I embark on a fresh school year in a couple of weeks. However, entering this program, my goal has always been to seek for ways to improve upon my teaching, while learning important skills for my continued career in education, at a college or university level helping students in other ways than in front of the classroom.