Hello, my name is Heather. I am finishing a class about technology. Let me tell you about all of the new things I have learned about.

We started off by learning about Google productivity tools. Previously I did not use Google's tool because I thought that anything Google could do could be done in Microsoft Office. However, I now know how accessible Google tools are for sharing between individual as well as extra tools that Google provides. 

I look forward to using Google tools so I can have multiple editors and create documents that will allow for more concise communication between my colleagues as well as store documentation, progress and information of students so it is accessible for everyone who needs it. 

I also learned about concept mapping using Google draw, which I used to think was a tool only students used. But I discovered that it can be used by teachers as well to map out lesson plans without extraneous writing. And that by creating a skeleton plan by making a concept map you can make sure to have all the pieces for planning. 

I think I will begin to use concept mapping to ensure that all of my lesson objectives will be covered, assessed and are aligned with standards. 

But that's not all! I learned about cool tools that record your screen like Screencastify. I knew that the technology existed but didn't know how it was done.  So, I was excited to learn about how accessible creating a screen video is and how it can be used for education.

Particularly in regard to assignments that require at home technology use and even make-up work for absent students, I can use Screencastify to create instruction that can be reviewed and cut down of frustration of missing or complex assignments. It could even help parents when they help with homework! 

We even talked about assistive technology in my class. I always knew about how important it was for students with disabilities. However, with exploration, I discovered that some technologies could help students without disabilities,

 especially ones who struggle academically,

are English language learners or struggle             with mental health. 

This has caused me to be even more diligent in the future to research assistive technologies that will help my students regardless of their disability status or struggles. I want to ensure that every student is able to perform at their best, feel that they are capable completing the work required and obtain the knowledge presented.

One of the best things I learned about was animated video and cartoon making as well as visual storytelling. I knew videos and cartoons could be used by a teacher to introduce or reinforce concepts. But now I see how beneficial using videos and cartoons can be to assess students' knowledge and have fun. 

I am sure that in the future I will use animated videos and cartoon creation to engage my students to present their knowledge to the best of their abilities both creatively and academically.

Similarly, I didn't know of a way to use effective visual storytelling. However, I now understand that it allows students to show what they know in a creative way and focus on materials that they find important.

Visual storytelling, animated videos and cartoon creation all allow for differentiation between students without overwhelming a teacher to come up with multiple assessments on multiple levels of information since not every student finds the same information memorable or is at the same academic level on which to retain presented information.

I plan to use visual storytelling similar to how I plan to use animated videos and cartoons. However, I will gear it towards assignments that warrant the use of written word. Utilizing the visual storytelling to reinforce concepts of the writing process. 

I didn't just learn about technology in my class though. I also learned a lot about lesson planning. 

We started out talking about objectives and Bloom's taxonomy. I used to not give much thought to the idea of objectives and Bloom's taxonomy. I focused on what I thought students needed to know and how it would be included in my lesson. I had no clear objectives other than the recall and comprehension of information.