Through this Online Learning course, I've learned several concepts that will be applicable to my teaching.
1) Stop using excuses: We don't have enough computers. Students don't have internet access. The network is unreliable. STOP. The question is, "What am I going to do about it?" I've learned that just because there are obstacles, doesn't mean that I need to give up on the concept.
2) Technology alone is not motivating: Teachers needs to stop sitting students in front of a computer and pretend they are having so much fun. It must be useful, interesting, and rigorous. Using technology as a novelty is not accomplishing anything. How you use tech as a tool makes all the difference.
3) You can push further: I am one of the most tech-savvy teachers in my school. That doesn't mean I can stop there because I'm further ahead of everyone else. Looking through the tech rubric and the SAMR model has allowed me to realize that I am only mid-way through my education in online learning. I can really push my students to use tech in new ways that was previously an inconceivable task.
Though it is not a concept, I really appreciate learning about new site that are relevant to teaching. I'm creating quite a symbaloo collection, and I am anxious to share it with other teachers in my school/corporation.
A comment to your #2 - "technology alone is not motivating." I do think that this is so important for teachers to understand and for students to understand. As we went 1:1 I think our students got the idea that they were going to get to play a lot more learning games. They do get to use the great game-format learning programs that are out there, but our biggest focus has been on digital tools that are being used because of their advanced learning they can provide, not some sort of entertainment factor. Some students will tell me that they thought Achieve 3000 (our reading comprehension program) was pretty cool at first, but now they are just tired of it. The newness has worn off. But I tell them that it is working to make them a better reader because it gives them exactly what they need. We didn't buy it to entertain them, we bought it to personalize their learning. When I show them they have improved two grade levels in one year, they are motivated again.
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