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Now that I have finished the course work for my Master's of Educational Technology, I have come to realize that the value in the program was not the exposure to new technology that I was hoping for. However, I did learn and become very excited about the ERIC database, which I have used, along with my texts, in particular Human Learning(Ormrod, 2oo8), and interactions with professors and peers, to search for what it was that these courses did provide me with. That is the research and theory to back up why I'm using the technology I do with my kindergarten and preschoolers. For instance. my powerpoint presentation justifying the annual kindergarten class movie being more than just a "cute", but unsubstantive project. (Follow this link to the presentation.) Or how I developed, implemented, and amended my Daily Writing Program as viewed on my school website. (Follow this link to see the presentation in PowerPoint.) In either instance, it was not so much the technology that was new but the ability to justify to my less excited colleagues it's value. Also, being able to access sites like the Connecticut Curriculum Frameworks has given me a convenient reference to build lessons and curriculum upon. So not only has technology helped me to teach my children, it has helped me to educate my peers. Some of the texts, like The Case Against Standardized Testing (Kohn 2ooo), we have used have fueled great debates between my classmates and I that I eagerly await to discuss with my colleagues.
In another realm of discussion, I am a participating member in several forums based on the object oriented programming language ActionScript. I have been learning this language and using Adobe's Flash to program simple interactive media for my kindergarten and preschoolers. Some of my first programs are the Mr. Martel Can Spell letter soundboard and a set of mazes featuring our occupational therapist Mrs. Lima to build dexterity with the mouse. I have created these and more (currently about a dozen) games as well as posting them on the internet. I hope to continue making interactive educational media that correlates with school curriculum making learning more accessible to families at home.
Connecticut State Department of Education. (2oo8). SDE: Connecticut Curriculum Frameworks. Retrieved July 1st, 2oo8 from http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?A=2618&Q=320860.
Education World. (2oo5). New Skills in New Schools: Preparing Teachers in Family Involvement. Retrieved July 2nd, 2oo8 from http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues020.shtml.
Kohn, A. (2ooo). The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Kohn, A. (2ooo). Alfiekohn.org.. Retrieved July 3rd, 2oo8 from http://www.alfiekohn.org/index.html.
Ormond, J. E. (2oo8) Human Learning 5th Edition. Upper Saddle, New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
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