University of West Indies School of Business

Studies of Roytec UWI

Name - Nalini Sookraj

ID# - 3579781

Course Learning with Technology

Code B.E.D EDUC. 5948

Lecturer - Mr. Ramesh Sookoor

My expectations for my students, individually and as a class, are one, whereby I

interact and provide instruction to my students with the utmost care and concern for them and

for reaching their educational goals. I believe it is very significant as an educator to keep

learning and to transform your approach to find the best ways to relate materials to your

students. I want my students to be more engaged, and to take more control over their own learning.

Research has shown that when students are engaged in the learning process this however,

increases their attention and their level of critical thinking skills where it stimulates

meaningful learning experience, (Roblyer,M.D 2013). I plan to keep up with new innovation

and try to incorporate them in my classroom both individually and in groups. If I can touch

the life of one child during my career, it would be quite the accomplishment for me.

My role in helping the students meet their expectations both epistemologically,

theoretically and practically are, by embracing the constructivist learning approach to help

my students to exceed their educational goals. My epistemological belief is that knowledge is

constantly changing and my role as a facilitator is to provide my students to be active and

involved by enhancing motivation. Technical skills need to be accompanied by skills for

discovering and interpreting information,( Constructivism has its origins in cognitive

psychology and is based on the idea that each student has the potential to bring something

exceptional and special to the world. As a constructivist teacher, I will assess the student's

prior knowledge, and then I will carefully coordinate cues, classroom activities, and probing

questions to push students to higher levels of understanding.

The factor I believe that impacts my students learning is teaching subject matter

which is culturally relevant to them. The model I will follow will be based on progressivism

and on the belief that teachings must be relevant to the students in order for them to learn. I
believe that all children are different in their own way, and each child learns through different

learning styles at different levels. However, I believe that having a more comfortable learning

environment somehow, gives a sense of responsibility and belonging, also having class

activities encourages socialisation as well as problem solving techniques, where I will be

working with student interests and needs, I will serve as a guide, in supporting students to

reach their goals. The importance will be on the future, and on preparing students to be

independent-thinking adults. I will make strive for appropriate, hands-on learning and allow

my students to the freedom to create their own strategies.

The most effective way that I can measure student learning is not only by observing

their interest level of the class but also by assessing my students. Some assessment methods

that I use are as follows, giving a rubric, by giving student evaluation of the course, multiple

choice questions, short answers test, written assignments, oral presentations, quizzes and

student created projects. Assessment is crucial in determining if learning objectives are met,

however assessments aligned with learning objectives and instructional strategies, provide

students with the information they need to focus and reinforce one another. the likelihood of

success. When students succeed and attribute their success to effort, their motivation to learn

and self-efficacy increases.

I believe that introducing Information Technology into my classroom is vital to

students development and personalizing their educational experience. It is a technique I

intend to employ in any classroom, hence, students will relate to solving problems that may

limit learning. In my classroom, I will use technology to improve communication between

parents and teachers. Effective communication is essential for building school-family

partnerships. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are a diverse set of

technological tools and resources that are used to communicate, to create, circulate, collect,

and manage information. It has been largely associated with computer and Internet usage.
However, ICT also includes television and radio. ICT deals with not only information but

communication as well. ICT means creating information and sharing it. Computers, mobiles,

Internet, radio, television, and such devices help me as a teacher and my students to gain

knowledge of such inventions.

Technology focuses, nowadays, on distribution and sharing rather than amassing of

information. If we look at the communications in the classrooms, it is still homogenous with

the teacher talking and students listening and teaching through rote learning. However, this

method will not work in the age of technology. We need the student to become an active

learner and the teacher must be an implementer of learning.(Pearson 2013). This is the

paradigm shift that should happen. My main role as a teacher, therefore, is to help students

organize, construct, and disseminate the information they are gathering through technology.

Technology can also be helpful to me as a teacher for completing my daily duties. For

example I can use Microsoft Excel to create reports in seconds. Excel will allow the

reporting system to pull through any of the data I have entered so I can create the exact,

customized report I need. Once your report is created, it can be updated in real-time, so every

time I open the report within I can ensure the data is up-to-date, without having to go

through creating the report manually every time. I can also download the reports, and send it

to anyone who needs to see in really quickly and easily, such as my Principal. I can also

utilise Microsoft Access to create relevant databases such as students information including

addresses and contact information. Databases such as these can obliterate paperwork such as

cumulative record cards.

However, before I plan to utilise ICT in a classroom, the barriers to this method must

be considered. In most classrooms in Trinidad there is overcrowding, there are students with

different abilities, insufficient space, poor attention. I believe that there will be a radical

change in the responsiveness and involvement of students if ICT is amalgamated into the
teaching methods. There must be involvement of students in the teaching process. Gathering

information is possible through ICT. (Roblyer 2013) The opportunities associated with using

the Internet in the classroom are several. I can create a blog to store pictures, lessons,

worksheets, assignments, notes related to a topic. This I can discuss the topic anywhere and

with many students even outside the classroom. Students can also upload their work on the

blog, with parental or teacher assistance if required depending on the age group. This will

complement my teaching by providing more information and a platform for students to share

their ideas, which is not always possible in a large class. Reclusive, slow students will also

get a chance to participate. I will give differentiated assignments that students can choose

from and even test the students and grade them. Students get a chance to learn and relearn, go

through the topic several times and ask questions without being embarrassed.

I would assign a topic of research, depending on the age group, for example, an

Infant Year 2 class; I would assign research on the topic mammals. They would need to

research and answer what are three features of mammals. I would show video at school and

give a research assignment requiring the use of the Internet. We would work together at

school and review at home with parents. For those without Internet access at home I would

ensure that the assignment be completed at school with my assistance. Such an assignment

would guide children through lessons of typing, spelling as well as the use of a search engine

such as Google. It will also open their minds to the reality that technology is more than games

and entertainment.

Another way to involve the use of technology in the classroom is to give the students

assignments based on radio, television programmes on history, geography, science, and

environment. This not only creates interest in the students but also enables them to get more

information. This could be shared in the class. It can be planned in such a way that much of

the syllabus could be covered. This way I do not need to teach each topic in detail. They can
research the topic then present it in class then supplemented by me, the teacher. It constitutes

the foundation for all other forms of family involvement in education. Technology can

enhance home-school communication in ways that alleviate communication challenges and

barriers of time and distance that teachers and parents often face. There are many ways I can

use technology to improve the interaction, starting from scheduling to dissemination of

student grade information, thus establishing avenues for parents to have a more meaningful

role in education.

Two precise tools that I will use to establish a prolific parent-teacher-student

threesome relationships, are emails and social networking apps particularly Whats App

Group Chats. Firstly, Emails have replaced all conventional modes of communication in tech-

savvy countries and are already used, especially in private primary school, as a manner of

communication between the teacher and students. It can be used for announcements of

assignments and due dates of homework The use of email communication between the

teacher and parent can help ease the strain during parent teacher meets because any issue,

problem or announcement can be communicated at the required time without waiting for a

later scheduled meeting so that the issue can be addressed instantaneously. This also free the

teacher from memorising and assembling information and messages over the year to be

conveyed to the parents.

The parents also benefits from being in email touch with the teacher because they

can monitor the progress of their child, and know of problems that the child may be facing

academically and otherwise. It must however be remembered by all parties concerned that the

line between personal and professional by both parent and teacher must be drawn and they

must take care not to overstep limits beyond which the freedom and privacy of the child is

invaded. Apart from periodic email updates, weekly or fortnightly class newsletters can be

created as a joint effort, to include examples of student work, and upcoming assignments.
Secondly, Social networking is an unpredictable tool that while allowing teacher to increase

the level of communication using a recognizable social media format, such as whats app,

possesses innately a high risk of distraction. However, social networking can undoubtedly

support the teacher-parent-student relationship.

Just about every aspect of modern life involves educational technology; therefore,

to not make use of it in the curriculum is antiquated. Since educational technology pervades

all aspects of modern society, schools have a duty of care to ensure that pupils understand

issues such as keeping safe online, protecting their identity, recognising good and misleading

information sources on the internet, the effects of educational technology on communications

and the economy, to name but a few issues. Giving students choices in their learning goals

and teaching them to be attentive to their progress will radically change their roles as students

and produce the learning gains and desired outcomes for the student, myself as the teacher,

the school and the community.

As a teacher I strongly believe, that I am the centre of the classroom. I will try to

introduce technology in the classroom, to allow my students to be technologically advanced

in todays society and at large. This practice will make it fun and easier, making it enjoyable

for my students currently and in the future. Hence, this change in using technology will be a

positive one, since it would help my students to discover ones self. Knowing that I havent

been using technology as often as I should and seeing the positive results in my classroom, it

will definitely be used on a daily basis. This will make all my students quite happy and

enthusiastic about learning the school curriculum for future development. This innovation

will both be a success and quite useful for both myself and my students.

In addition my students role will change from an oppressive to a more

constructivist approach. They will become a lot more collaborative and will work well with

others. The students will become more engaged in critical thinking, creativity, building
community and about learning the curriculum. Currently, those students who have not been

exposed to technology and who have not been able to express his/her self, this will give them

a chance to become more confidence and independent in using technology. This way all my

students will be able to use the equipment fully by themselves, which may results in positive

learning outcomes and a way to cater for all learning types.

Roblyer, M, D (2017)

Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching.

(10th edition). Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersery

Roblyer, M.D and Doering. A.H

(2013). Integrating Educational

Technology into Teaching (6th Edition)

Boston.MA, Pearson