Initial+Reflection+and+Goal+Setting-+Felicia+Mgbada


 * 1) Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity **


 * Reflection: ** This past year, I would say that I “engage[d] students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources”. The final project for first semester was creating a documentary that addressed and shed light on an issue in our country or neighborhood. My students had to engage in a lot of computer based research and then create a digital representation of their research and reflections. Students were in collaborative groups and were able to share their individual digital talents while learning from each other.

In addition: I want to learn at least 3 different digital tools I can teach my class, which will have to pick from for an assignment.
 * Goal: ** In this class, I would like to learn how to “promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness”. I tend to back away from things, especially technology, that I am not familiar with. I am aware that my students know a lot more about technology than I do so I would like to learn how to create opportunities for my students to show their digital knowledge, in an accessible way, without being limited by my simple digital literacy.


 * 2) Design and develop digital age learning experience and assessments **


 * Reflection: ** Overall for this category, I think that I have so much control over my classroom that I do not encourage my students to manage their own learning, create individual educational goals or assess their own progress. I need to work on this. I also think that it will increase student investment and by-in, which is something that I struggled with this year.


 * Goal: ** In this class, I would like to learn how to “customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources”. “Individual learning styles” is something that I was beat over the head with before I started teaching, but it is one of the hardest things for me to actually implement. I know that different students learn differently and also should be assessed differently, on some occasions. I want to have different digitally innovative assessments in my tool box, this way I would be able to provide my students with more options in the classroom.


 * 3) Model digital age work and learning **


 * Reflection: ** This is probably the category I struggle the most with. As I mentioned before, my digital knowledge is very limited. There is a lot that I do not know about so I cannot expose my students to. Also, this past year, collaborating with parents, peers, students and community members using digital tools was not high on my priority list. I felt my students needed a lot more help in other area and digital tools was not even on my list.


 * Goals: ** In this class, I would like to learn the need and significance of being technologically and digitally adept. Sometimes I wonder if it really matters that my students use these tools. I want to learn more about the benefits and how I can convey these benefits to my students and co-workers.

In addition: Although I have a Twitter, I do not see any use for it so I would like to become a consistent Twitter user who who tweets at least 3 times a week.


 * 4) Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility **


 * Reflection: ** This is the most important categories. This past year, we worked a lot on the “appropriate documentation of sources". I stressed the importance of giving credit where and when credit is due on all their papers. I also gave very harsh penalties when these rules were not followed. I noticed a lot of my students just did not know the rules for citing sources so this is something I had to teach from scratch.

In addition: The outcome of my learning would be: first become knowledgeable of the rules, then when my class first begins digital projects, we will create class rules for the internet and school laptops. This will be part a a larger digital literacy training.
 * Goals: ** In this class, I would like to learn all the digital etiquettes and responsibilities that go along with these tools. As I am introducing my students to all of these digital tools, it is also my responsibility to teach them proper digital manners, etiquette, and responsibility. Facebook and Instagram are not always used correctly by my students. I think that if I teach them etiquette in other digital mediums, it will be transferable to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


 * 5) Engage in professional growth and leadership **


 * Reflection: ** My school did not have any professional development opportunities related to technology and digital resources. However, I did have the great opportunity to attend the NCTE conference in Boston this year. I got a very good digital resource for books and online assessments. I tried it once in my class but it was taking too long to teach and implement so sadly, I let it go.

In addition: I would like to find at least 2 teacher resources about digital projects and assignments that includes instructions on how to use them. I would also hold myself accountable to developing at least one class project using these resources.
 * Goal: ** In this class, I would like to be exposed to more professional development opportunities as it relates to learning and teaching digital resources and other technology.