I am so grateful to my classmates who embarked on the endeavor of finding platforms to use in order to complete this assignment. After browsing through some ideas, I settled on Pearltree (thank you Shawn!) in order to create my collection. What drew me to it was the very user-friendly, and visually pleasing format. I loved the idea of creating collections that are visually connected to the elements added to the toolbox. I also appreciated the ability to easily add the Pearltree extension, which is now easily found on my toolbar for easy access.
The biggest challenge I had with this assignment was simply narrowing down the vast collection of resources that I have built over the past couple of years. I have collections stored in gmail folders, Google Keep, Google Drive, Evernote, Feedly, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest...and the list goes on. The task of organizing was daunting!
As with each element of this course, I decided to focus on creating a technology resource for those who with young children. Within this context, I had to consider the ways in which technology impacts the children, the role of the teacher/learner, and families who are an extension of my work. In order to get started I considered the ways that I look at technology:
1. What are like-minded teachers doing that I find inspiring?
2. What tools are best for creating and experiencing through technology?
3. What is the research and theory that creates a foundation for my work with technology?
Although I had a particular audience in mind, I wanted to get feedback from people who work with a variety of teachers rather than the teachers that I have contact with on a daily basis. I wanted fresh eyes, and a unique perspective. So, I turned to two of our district administrators to get feedback on the collection that I created.
Both were very honest and supportive. Interestingly, the common piece of feedback was that the toolkit itself was a bit overwhelming. In my great excitement to change the world, I do have a tendency to overwhelm. So I was guided to take a closer look at how I could create a resource that was geared toward even the most novice teacher in the area of technology. After all, this is meant to be a resource to inspire, not overwhelm!
Inspiration From Teachers
I went back to my collection and decided to create three separate collections that are embedded within each other. The "parent" collection is meant for teachers to get excited and glimpse into the world of other educators who are out there doing the work everyday. This is the place for teachers to see connections, and begin to consider the ways in which the technology lens does not replace, but rather enhances learning experiences. As a background photo I actually chose a black and white photo of one of the children in my class painting. It was important to me that the feel of this page points to the importance of integrating hands-on experiences with new approaches to learning.
Creation and Experience
Within the first piece of the toolkit, is a link to the second collection which houses links to actual tools and sites that are meant for "Creating and Experiencing." It is important to me that my toolkit provides open-ended opportunities to extend and elevate learning rather than replace an experience that is already available. The few I chose to add offer unlimited possibilities in how they can be used by children and teachers within the classroom setting. They also offer ways in which families can find connections and begin to develop an understanding of developmentally appropriate practices that can be applied at home as well. The background I chose for this collection is actually an app smash between Felt Board and PicCollage that children created collaboratively to demonstrate their ideas about fairness. I thought this was a perfect image to show integration of learning, technology, and developmentally appropriate practice.
Research and Theory
The third collection is focused on research and theory. It
is meant for teachers to explore when they are ready to start developing their own ways of using technology to meet the needs of learners. I have found that with my own learning in the area of technology, I began much as any novice learner begins, I followed the lead of those before me. I looked to the experts and the teachers that were already "doing" and I tried out their ideas. I tested the tools in the ways that had been shared. Although this was very satisfying and a source of success, the next level of learning comes from the development of new and unique ideas. In order to make these decisions, we must be grounded in the research and theory that supports our work. As a background for this collection I chose the hand print image because no matter how many times we look at the research and theory it all comes down to the fact that learning is about what is best for the children.
Although this toolkit is still a work in progress, I am grateful for the support of administrators who were able to offer honest feedback to help me grow. We are all shifting between the role of learner and teacher. The process of creating this toolkit has helped to continue to develop my mindset as I consider the ways that children and teachers approach learning in the 21st century.
