Audio, Video, And So Much More!
It wasn’t easy to think that I arrived to work at 7:30 a.m. and that my day wouldn’t end at 4:05 p.m. but 8:00 p.m.! However, as I think back to my experience in this class, Multimedia Tools in Education, I can truly say I had a blast and learned so much!
An article that stuck with me was the F-Shaped Pattern of Reading by Kara Pernice. It talked about how eye tracking research shows that people scan webpages and phone screens in various patterns, including the pattern of the letter F. This made me realize that I personally scan webpages this way. Realizing this, it makes me rethink how I layout information for my students or the manner in which I present the material in class.
I had many conversation throughout this course with my classmates that helped make a difference in my learning and teaching. We discussed pros and cons about audio usage in the classroom, using videos in the classroom, pros and cons of using audiobooks in the classroom and how they may impact learning. These were great conversations that made me consider different ways to differentiate lessons for my students. I’m grateful for these conversations because I have tried a different approach to teaching reading with my more struggling students. I am using more audio recordings for them and I can see how this small change is making a difference in their ability to read and a boost in their self esteem. Yay!
There were so many things that I took from this class and used immediately the next day or the next week. I explained to my students that I was taking this class and I would be sharing some new technology and because it was new they would need to be patient because I may not know how to troubleshoot. Or simply because with technology there are always hiccups! But, I can tell that my students were excited that I was taking this class because on a weekly basis they would ask, “Ms. Arenas, what did you learn this week?” I have surveyed the class and their favorite tech tool was FlipGrid!
I plan to continue to use these tech tools that I learned about, for example, screencast-o-matic has become one of my favorite tools. I also hope these tools come in handy for my next class, which is Effective Technology Integration Into Lessons and Curriculum. Wish me luck!
That's what it's all about, student learning and engagement! But none of this wouldn't have happened if you weren't willing to take the risk and try something new. :)
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