Upon examining the course goals and objectives written for ETPT, I would argue that my learning experiences in this course contributed to the achievement of the course goals and objectives. I have developed technology competencies of different operating systems and productivity and utility software as a foundation of learning more intricate programs. I then came to understand new and up-and-coming programs and software that not only allow me to teach, but also manage a classroom and design unit and lesson plans. By mastering different uses of technology, I was able to focus on how to incorporate these into my classroom effectively, and how to differentiate instruction for students who may be incapable of learning or using such tools. I have a clear understanding of what is ethical and permissible to use per copyright restrictions, and also know how to monitor my student's activity to ensure that they are being responsible, fair, and ethical as well. I have also learned how to rationalize using different forms of technology, knowing when certain programs are applicable or appropriate and when they are not. I am certain that this class has prepared me with a mastery knowledge of how to use, incorporate, and teach 21st century skills needed to succeed in a society that is rapidly relying on ever-changing technology. Because of this, I believe my experiences have indeed contributed to the achievement of the course goals and objectives. 
 
By creating a lesson using SMART Board software, I learned how to make my lessons interactive while keeping the focus simple and directed, one of the main benefits of a Powerpoint. This will transform the learning process because my students will become active learners instead of passive learners. By having my students come up and write on the board, or click matching tiles, or move sentences into a correct order, they are not just rotely memorizing the information, they are moving further up on Bloom's Taxonomy by analyzing and synthesizing the information. This higher level of thinking and processing is the greatest benefit that SMART Board technology has to offer, as it inspires students to think creatively and critically about history instead of just memorizing dates and names, a concept that has unfortunately become so standard in modern day Social Studies curriculum.


 
Integrating spatial thinking definitely serves many purposes in my future classroom. It creates an awareness of one's surroundings and also helps make the lessons come to life. Connecting my curriculum to the globe gives the lesson that added extra that makes it realistic to the student. When they can see the squalor someone was living in, or the destruction of a catastrophic event, or just how far away on the globe two places are, they really become knowledgeable of the logistics behind the decisions made in that point in history. Geospatial technologies such as Google Earth definitely has benefits in my history, political, and geographical content area because of the features listed above, and it also is more engaging than just pointing on a globe or 2-dimensional map. In all, I will likely be using both the lesson I have created as well as developing new lessons with Google Earth because of the added benefits it offers to my students.
 
Creating a video helped to foster a creative and imaginative approach to learning history. By narrating a story from a fictional character's point of view, the topic of the Great Depression became more relatable - I felt like I wanted to help Margaret Bradbury's family overcome their financial hardships. If all students begin to feel this emotional connection with history, they will in turn see the importance of learning a subject that so many are quick to write off as uninportant.

By having my students create this video, not only are they developing personal knowledge and emotions toward the subject matter, they are also learning how to use technology to effectively communicate an idea. Imagine if Mrs. Bradbury's story was told in an essay or a fictional narrative. Her story would not be nearly as interesting and heart-wrenching without photos, sounds, and added bits of information. By creating a video, however, students convey a message effectively by appealing to many different learning styles - visual, kinesthetic, and audio.

 
The importance of developing creativity and nonlinear thinking in my students became very apparent during these exercises. Not only were the projects fun to create and review, they were also more memorable because they were presented in an "outside of the box" manner. It makes sense that teachers strive to engage students in nonlinear thinking because it definitely stimulates multiple senses in the student and creates active participators. Two of the most beneficial things that students will gain by creating these types of presentations are 21st century skills and a better understanding and application of the subject matter. For instance, when creating Prezis, students will understand how to use this type of software better and how to apply it to other subjects, and will also gain a deeper "branched out" knowledge of the subject at hand.
 
The use of word clouds and concept maps definitely aided me in both developing teaching skills and learning skills. The ability to see words and concepts arranged on a screen brought them to life and made them more memorable than they would have been from reading a textbook. I have seen word clouds used during the 2012 Presidential Debates, and will likely use them in my Government classes to arrange ideas of different political structures and parties. I have used concept mapping in my own notetaking before, and will definitely use it in all of my classes to help students keep facts and information "straight", i.e., help them organize events and ideas that may all work in conjunction with each other, such as battles in a war or amendments to the Constitution. In all they are both very valuable tools that appeal to both visual and kinesthetic learners as the student gets to see the information and take part in creating the visual displays.
 
At my high school, technology was not necessarily unused, but it was not readily available, either. Most teachers had a SMART board in their classroom as well as a desktop computer, but they all seemed to use the SMART board as a glorified white board or chalk board. Computers were used to check email, display videos or webpages on the SMART board, and for grade entering. Every classroom was still equipped with a TV that only received that school’s broadcasting channel. My experience may be biased and limited, though, because I took a standard honors curriculum and did not delve into the tech-prep programs such as computer-aided design and broadcasting my school offered. As for personal technology, students were not allowed to use cell phones, laptops, iPods, or anything more advanced than a TI-84 calculator while on school grounds. For most students who were in a standard, non-vocational track, our hands only touched a computer once we went home or on the sheer occasion of having to find a book in the school’s library. One particular teacher who taught sociology, economics, psychology, and a myriad of other social sciences pioneered using wikis, blogs, group chats, Google Drive, and other “newer” forms of technology. Our class as a whole was very turned off by these forms of technology because we were all very diverse in our proficiency with these things and our teacher was not very on point in her explanation of how to go about using these new concepts. She ended up taking most of the grades having to do with anything computer-based off our final grades because so many students did poorly, but when we asked her how to do something, often times she didn’t even know. I am very afraid that this will affect me negatively because I am afraid that my students will not grasp how to use new forms of technology, or, even worse, that I will be behind the times as my sociology teacher was and will end up failing my students. I am determined, though, to try to keep up with this ever-evolving technological age by using what I am learning in this class to my advantage.