Reflective Essay 1

When I think of research, I can't help but think of myself hunkered down in the library with books and papers spread all around me. I think of myself in college and even in high school- stressed and overwhelmed by the thought of writing another research paper. I was researching something a professor probably wanted me to- not something I actually wanted to find more about for myself.

Needless to say, my thinking on research has changed. I guess I could say I do research constantly in my profession. I rely on my own observations and assessments of my students' learning. I am "researching" whether a teaching practice or activity proves to be effective. Most of this is informal. Reading research can be overwhelming. It's sometimes hard to make sense of all of the charts, tables, and graphs. What does it all come down to? My biggest concern is how my own students are learning.

Because I am so close to the end of this program, it is very important for me to know the latest research in the field of Educational Technology.  I am very blessed to have a Smart Board, digital projector, and document camera in my very own classroom. Just this week I was given the opportunity to house the laptop cart in my classroom. I will have fifteen laptops at my disposal (well, when another teacher hasn't signed them out). I want to learn about impact these resources have on student learning. I know that the Smart Board in conjunction with the document camera increases student engagement- but what about their learning? Are the kids in my classroom today learning more/better/easier due to the fact that they have these great visual tools? Will my class this year and next year perform better because we have easier access to the laptops? These are the things I want to know. I'd be very interested in  knowing the impact of pod casts and audio on student learning. In the end, I'm curious to see what this course brings.