Utilizing technology to facilitate student learning in the classroom is vital for modern teaching. In February, I began working on a mini-lesson with a partner focusing on digital citizenship for us to teach in a sixth-grade classroom relating to the Technology standard. Its goal was to teach students about media balance in their everyday lives to make time for friends, family, extracurriculars, and more. Creating a media plan allows students to participate in activities and effectively manage their time outside the classroom. Our lesson was showcased as a presentation with interaction from students to create a Padlet to illuminate the positives and negatives of digital media and relate this to their lifestyles. By using technology, the students were more engaged and able to view others’ inputs – allowing them to observe other ideas they may not have otherwise seen if it was a simple pros and cons worksheet done individually. The Technology standard states, “…assess the impact of technology on those lessons”. The digital use in our lesson allowed students to further knowledge and connection among their peers of how media has become such an integral part of our lives while understanding its repercussions when used in excess. The students came up with the negative consequences of excessive media use, formulating an understanding of the impacts of technology on their mental and physical health. Technology is a fantastic tool for teachers to incorporate into their classrooms, as it allows for advanced thinking and collaboration between students, their peers, and teachers.

Technology creates complexity in the classroom that can be used to advance student learning in new and creative ways. This assignment made me think about how technology works in a real classroom and how one might teach its appropriate use. I look forward to implementing new platforms and technologies in my first classroom. I want to utilize technology to the best of my ability by searching for various tools designed for student learning. Padlet was a great tool and is customizable for many lesson plans for collaborative learning; using it in our lesson was a good start for adjusting to technology use as a professional. The internet holds a variety of resources for teachers and students to use in their learning process. It will take more research to locate the correct and most advantageous tools and platforms moving into my professional career. Reflecting on this assignment, I cannot see a classroom without digital tools, as kids are surrounded by technology inside and outside of school, and it is a language they are familiar with at increasingly younger ages.