Concluding+thoughts

Concluding thoughts ** As I continue integrating technology into my teaching and learning cyle, it is interesting to reflect on what is actually happening and see if my classroom practice is grounded in research and reflects my changed ideas about pedagogy and practice. Fullan (2007, p.25) argues that there is a superficiality to much teacher learning, and that although schools can restructure time and time again, it is re-culturing, the change to our beliefs and practices that is needed to effect change.There are many teachers who see technology integration as a supplemental tool and it is time to shift these mindsets and assume that effective teaching requires effective technology use (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010) This supports the arguments of TPACK, which states effective integration depends not on making technology of greater importance, but that rather we have an interdependence of technology with content and pedagogy (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010, p. 259).
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 What has been interesting to observe within my own practice is that even though I have competence in technology integration and have changed many attitudes and beliefs, I am not a free agent and that sometimes the structures within my school makes it almost impossible to use technology as I might like (Somekh, 2008)eg. Timetabling to share mobiles is not always suitable, our use of apps on the iPads is dependent on what has been downloaded and curriculum expectations can create pressure and a mismatch of purpose. In addition, I have found myself to be an individual teacher working alone with technology rather than being part of a shared school culture or vision that includes technology as a necessary part of good teaching (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010). Since school leadership is a critical factor in encouraging and mentoring teachers I am hoping that I can become more involved in training, mentoring and supporting teachers as they gain additional knowledge about combining relevant ICT tools and resources into their classroom practice and beliefs.

 Technology also, by its very nature, is non-linear and chaotic and it does not fit easily into the linear, traditional structures of the classroom (Somekh, 2008). I have found in many instances in my school that despite the vision statement (DER) Digital Education Revolution (DEEWR, 2008) most teachers are still tending to use technology to fit into structures that are supported by their current practice, rather than use it in a transformative manner. Eg use of the IWB mostly as a modern overhead projector for whole class instruction, PowerPoint presentations instead of book/chart projects, finding research information online rather than in an encyclopedia. I think that I too am struggling with this dilemma as while I am still learning how to integrate effectively I find comfort and structure in my more traditional practice. I would argue also that some of my lack of change is because there has been no meaningful, consistent professional development or mentoring offered (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010).Rather there seems to be a false assumption that if you have access to technology, you will know how to use and integrate it (Bain & Weston, 2012).

 At times technology appears to be a double edged sword, having both advantages and disadvantages. Gibson and Salomon (Conole & Dyke, 2004) refer to this as the ‘affordances’ of technology. This term relates to the observation that within the very nature of technology integration there is both a benefit and a cost. I found this to be very true in several areas as I began to implement my action plan.

 Firstly, there is the speed of change and accessibility. While the internet gives me amazing access to a wealth of previously unavailable information and events, it also raises problems for me about authenticity, quality and quantity of information. I spent many many hours researching and checking out what types of technology would suit the learning needs of my students and was constantly finding newer and possibly more exciting results. I changed sites and apps I originally chose, many times over.

 I think the most noticeable affordance that I struggled with at school,throughout this course, was the fragility of the internet options (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010). Whilst the internet can deliver some stunning videos, visual texts and up to date information, attached to this are the problems we have with unreliable cable internet and nonexistent wifi. At times, using technology became almost impossible and it was very difficult to deal with the uncertainty of delivery of certain aspects of lessons that relied on connections. As a technology enthusiast, I was able to persist, but I fully understand those teachers who simply say it is too hard to put up with the inconsistencies that occur. If my car was as unreliable, I would never get to work!

 With the help of both readings and the forum I have been experimenting with many web 2.0 tools to improve my skills. What I found most rewarding and fascinating about many of the tools was the ability to use them in combination to achieve a goal. eg. Create a picture of your own in Feltboard or Pic monkey and then use it as an image in Educreations or Pic Collage. In this way, you are customizing each child's product and working towards the differentiation of the curriculum outcomes. In addition to this I was able to combine sites such as Jing to take photos or videos and then share them effectively with others using other web tools such as Thinglink (see below). media type="custom" key="23969268" align="center" width="210" height="216"

or access the address: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/441229675214143489#tlsite

In relation to my portfolio, I tried several different platforms, since I was unfamiliar with almost all of them. I dabbled with google docs, Pebblepad, blogs and Smart Notebook. Even after choosing Pebble Pad and beginning my portfolio, I ended up changing to a wiki, as I found it much more user friendly. Although my wiki still has some teething problems, most particularly in relation to presentation, I have had to accept that this is part of the ongoing learning process.

 Throughout this assignment I have been engaged in an exciting learning curve, not only as a teacher but also as a student.I am hopeful that in my current role as a classroom teacher, I can show leadership to my colleagues in learning about, through and with technology.