Blog Assignment #16

Part 1: Final Reflection

After reviewing my first blog post of this semester, I have developed a better view of what my future classroom will look like. In my first post, I was uncertain as to what my future classroom would hold. I noted that I want my students to know that they are valued and that their thoughts, opinions, and experiences matter. In addition, I want to be able to instill self-esteem and confidence in my students. These things remain the same; however, there are additional things that I would assure my future Secondary Literature class will include.

In my classroom, I now know that self-learning, self-exploring, and self-reflection are all important aspects to learning that need to be included in any classroom. With these things in mind, I will utilize tools that the students are interested in, and I will use tools that are valid to their everyday lives. My students will be allowed the freedom to utilize tools of their choosing to explore and research topics being learned in the classroom. If I were to begin teaching today, some of those tools would include; Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google tools, Prezi, Skype, and a wide range of Apple applications. This list of tools is not conclusive, as our world is ever changing.

My classroom would be setup in a collaborative manner, instead of desks; I would assure there were accommodations for round table settings. I would assure there was appropriate access to the internet and tools needed to explore the subject matter in a personal way.

The activities in my classroom would include presentations by students showing what they have learned. The students would show how they were interacting with each other and students they have met through online collaboration. The activities would be a product of project-based learning, and each student would be able to display their learning in their own unique way.

My classroom would be ever changing based on the students’ needs and the changing environment we live in. The view of my future classroom has changed this semester in that I understand now that project-based learning is necessary to allow students to grow more fully and explore their passions in a unique way.

Part 2: Video Reflection