end boss: Using Skills Learned in the MET
Many games feature the ultimate bad guy at the end of a level or the game. Quite often they are referred to as “the end boss”. Generally, the skills that you acquire during that level, or the whole game itself, are used to defeat the end boss. The game developers want to see you use what you have learned and apply it when it really matters.
I feel the same is true for me. I am about to graduate from the MET program. I have learned many new skills along the way through this learning journey. Now I have to use those skills when it really matters: in my school district, and more importantly, in my classroom.
I don’t know what the future will bring for me, nor can I predict where educational technology will take us in the coming years. I do know that the MET has prepared me to choose, analyse, and apply any educational technologies that I feel will better engage my students in learning.
There are a few areas that I will focus on in the immediate future. It is no coincidence that they are related to the four major themes of this ePortfolio!
Gamification of learning, and more specifically, educational video game resources, remain an area that I want to implement further, and help my colleagues develop further. This past October, I was fortunate enough to be selected to present at my school district’s professional development day. I chose to do an all-day session on educational video games. It was well attended, and I still hear good feedback from those teachers who have committed to try these games out in their classrooms. I’d like to present my Prezi presentation as a learning artifact, to demonstrate that the MET’s influence exists after graduation.
I feel the same is true for me. I am about to graduate from the MET program. I have learned many new skills along the way through this learning journey. Now I have to use those skills when it really matters: in my school district, and more importantly, in my classroom.
I don’t know what the future will bring for me, nor can I predict where educational technology will take us in the coming years. I do know that the MET has prepared me to choose, analyse, and apply any educational technologies that I feel will better engage my students in learning.
There are a few areas that I will focus on in the immediate future. It is no coincidence that they are related to the four major themes of this ePortfolio!
Gamification of learning, and more specifically, educational video game resources, remain an area that I want to implement further, and help my colleagues develop further. This past October, I was fortunate enough to be selected to present at my school district’s professional development day. I chose to do an all-day session on educational video games. It was well attended, and I still hear good feedback from those teachers who have committed to try these games out in their classrooms. I’d like to present my Prezi presentation as a learning artifact, to demonstrate that the MET’s influence exists after graduation.
After taking ETEC 565A (Learning Technologies – Selection, Design, and Application), I still was striving to find the perfect LMS to use in my classroom for a blended approach to teach my students. I was still seeking alternatives to Moodle, Blackboard Connect, and Edmodo. This school year (2015-2016), I was fortunate enough to be selected as a pilot class to try Google Apps for Education (GAFE) in my district. I was literally begging/hounding my district to allow me access to this LMS, as the description seemed to meet what I was looking for. I haven’t been disappointed since! My students have been so engaged in their learning since we have added GAFE in the classroom. My biggest victory was when I witnessed two students purposely collaborating on a document without me asking them to! If you do not know what GAFE is, or how it is used, I encourage you to view this tutorial site that my group made as a part of ETEC 533 (Technologies in the Mathematics and Science Classroom).
Because my involvement as a pilot class for GAFE, and the fact that I am one of two elementary classrooms involved in the pilot, I was asked to speak at an in-service meeting to present GAFE’s abilities to a large group of administrators and learning assistance teachers. This was a joint presentation, and I would like to present to you the Google Slide presentation that was used.
After the MET is complete, I intend on becoming a Certified Google Educator. Once that is complete, I am authorized to display these Google Educator Badges on my resume, etc.
Digital storytelling is still a big passion of mine, and I believe that it can further engage students in both reading and writing. I do plan on continuing in this area in my classroom. There are a number of online tools that currently work well with the age group I work with, such as Storybird, Plotagon, and Pixton, as well as some others that either involve payment or centred on older age groups like Creaza and Interlude Treehouse.
As for augmented reality, I did mention in World 3-2 that I do not feel it is quite ready for mass classroom use. However, I will continue to make my students aware of its existence, and when it seems financially and technologically feasible, I will definitely “jump in with both feet”! With Google Cardboard becoming more ubiquitous, and the impending release of Samsung’s device for the new Galaxy S7, I do not think we will be waiting long (yes, they are technically virtual reality (VR), but it is still a step in the right direction).
So all in all, I feel like this has been an amazing learning journey. It is hard to believe that the MET portion has come to an end, but I am excited to see where I can apply these new skills in my teachings moments to come.
A big thank you to all my online classmates, professors, and supporters in my real world. And a special big thank you to my very supportive wife and daughter – I love you both, and I couldn’t have made it through this without your love and understanding.
See you all in the sequel!
Lane
As for augmented reality, I did mention in World 3-2 that I do not feel it is quite ready for mass classroom use. However, I will continue to make my students aware of its existence, and when it seems financially and technologically feasible, I will definitely “jump in with both feet”! With Google Cardboard becoming more ubiquitous, and the impending release of Samsung’s device for the new Galaxy S7, I do not think we will be waiting long (yes, they are technically virtual reality (VR), but it is still a step in the right direction).
So all in all, I feel like this has been an amazing learning journey. It is hard to believe that the MET portion has come to an end, but I am excited to see where I can apply these new skills in my teachings moments to come.
A big thank you to all my online classmates, professors, and supporters in my real world. And a special big thank you to my very supportive wife and daughter – I love you both, and I couldn’t have made it through this without your love and understanding.
See you all in the sequel!
Lane