Schoology and Online Learning Reflection

• What benefits do you see in educators knowing how to design and implement online learning?
This concept is not something educators use every day and I was not introduced to it for kindergarten through 12th grade until I begin to take these courses. Distance education has many opportunities to assist teachers, not only college but kindergarten through 12th grade as well. This will assist teachers in implementing technology into the classroom which gives our digital natives differentiated learning techniques. There is not a student, I know of, that would resist using technology in or out of the classroom. Educators should continuously strive to keep up with a constant changing world and technology is here to stay with constant progression for the future. This class is very beneficial because it has given me the tools to teach my students on the level that they deserve. It has also given me the tools to teach teachers how to implement technology into the curriculum with a creative twist.

• How will you professionally use your course that you designed?
I will use my course professionally by, first, letting my students test it and give feedback on their perception. I want to know how I can make it better by getting students and teachers’ feedback as well. Once I get their feedback I can then begin to implement it into my curriculum and teach other teachers on how to use it as well. The tools that are provided by Schoology will give me the opportunity to communicate with my students at school and at home. Students will not get behind when they are absent from school and there will be no excuses for not being prepared because they have access to their work 24/7. The program also saves a huge amount of time for teachers. Student information is accessible in one area and their tests and quizzes can be graded by the system. This not only saves time but it also saves on materials such as paper. This is an excellent opportunity to assist with a district that’s making an effort to go green.

• Will you integrate online learning in your role as a teacher/staff developer?
I will definitely integrate online learning into my role as a teacher and/or a staff developer. I have not made a decision about the direction I would like to take once receiving my master’s degree. It does not matter about the direction I decide to proceed because I will still apply the knowledge that I have attained to that position. I want all students to be successful so why not use the tools that they enjoy to teach them. This is a great concept of learning and can be used creatively to make learning enjoyable and easy for students. It’s not only a great tool for students but for teachers as well. It will make our job easier by grading student tests and quizzes online which saves on time and materials. I will introduce this concept to my principal and ask for the opportunity to teach it to other teachers in my school. I know a lot of teachers don’t want change but it’s important to keep up with new and innovative ways to teach our students.

• What questions do you still have about online learning?
I’m still learning new and innovative ways of using online learning and can’t wait to implement it into my classroom. I do have some questions such as: How will online learning impact kindergarten through 12th grade education? I think it will be a positive impact but can it, truly, take the place of the classroom? With the budget cuts and constraints occurring, will online education be considered more and more over classroom education in college and kindergarten through 12th grade education? Can a student really have the same quality of education online versus the classroom? How can I sell this concept to my school and district? How can I sell this concept to other teachers? How long will this program continue to be free and how much will it cost in the future?

• What will you do with this new learning?
As stated before, I will definitely integrate this concept into my curriculum. I want my students to have access to learning 24/7. I don’t want them having an excuse about missing assignments, tests and quizzes. They will be able to learn everything that is taught at school at home as well. I want all students to be successful so why not use the tools that they enjoy to teach them. This is a great concept of learning and can be used creatively to make learning enjoyable and easy for students. It’s not only a great tool for students but for teachers as well. It will make our job easier by grading student tests and quizzes online which saves on time and materials. I will introduce this concept to my principal and ask for the opportunity to teach other teachers in my school. Online learning is a great concept in every aspect of education and is well worth using to create an environment that is conducive for learning.