Web of Wonders Reflection

Through the process of creating the Web of Wonders (WoW) project, I learned a lot about technology and teaching technology. This project was all about our overall learning and a culminating project for our five week semester.  We were given the opportunity to create our own multimedia project about a topic of our choice. This choice may have been the hardest decision to make in the process of creating the WoW project. There are so many topics, integration strategies, and tools we learned about in the semester that it was hard to pick just one.

I decided to think about what I thought was the most informative and important piece to me as a future educator. What did I take away from this class that I could use in my classroom? For me, thinking of what tools and programs I would want to use always comes with the same question: “ What research supports this method?” Research based teaching strategies are very important to me. With all of the studies and data taken in the field of education, it is important to look for teaching methods that are proven to work.  

When looking at the text book and thinking about this question, I found a lot of information about classroom models that integrate online and in class components together to create a more informative experience for students. This idea of virtual learning can encompass many different classroom models. There is no set ratio of online and in class component that needs to be met, but blended classroom can support higher levels of learning. Blended environments allow learners to learn more and teachers to teach more. The students receive more individualized attention from teachers and also gain support through practice in the online component of the lessons.

One of the most common models of a blended environment is a flipped classroom. Students learn chosen components of lessons online provide more quality time with the teacher by avoiding re teaching the lesson several times to make sure everyone has the same amount of base knowledge to move into practice and discussion. With this time that is saved by online learning, the teacher can provide more quality, hands on instruction to support a constructivist model of learning. These online components of learning are usually provided to students as a homework assignment or in a center during the day before teacher instruction.

There are several studies that were provided in the textbook that supported these blended learning environments. Each environment can be changed to support the philosophy of the teacher and the needs of the class. Reading through all of the information in the book forced me to think about what strategy I would want to use in my classroom.I think that the flipped classroom is a very interesting model that I would like to try. Starting out as a new teacher,  I think it would be tough using this model for all lessons, but it would be good to try and have the opportunity to review and reflect on the lessons to improve for future attempts.

After choosing my topic and researching outside the information provided in the text, I moved to putting it all together in a multimedia presentation. Keeping with the theme of using new technology, I decided to create a Prezi for the first time. I could never figure out how people created these intricate presentations with so many dimensions. The actual creation of the presentation was very simple. I used a pre loaded template for the sake of saving time and got to work. I took time to explore the features of Prezi and learned that I could control the order of slides with a drag tool but couldn’t add a hyperlink, unfortunately.

Prezi is a fantastic tool to use as an alternative to the traditional powerpoint. With a prezi, your board is essentially infinite. You are provided with a board and all the tools and images you need to create an dimensional presentation. The movement across the board consists of zooms in and out, slides, turns, and many other transitions that keep you fascinated with just the presentation tool. I also learned, during the process of creating the prezi, that voice overs could be recorded and instantly played when the section of the prezi is called to the front. This feature makes the presentation more engaging and allows the viewer to move to hear the selected audio rather than a running audio that would need to be tracked forward or back to hear specific information pertinent to the slide.

Overall, I liked how the presentation came together after personalizing the template, adding all of the information, and incorporating the audio files to support the text. I think that each of the aspects of the lesson blended well together and  where I felt that my text was lacking, I added voice to support the point I was trying to get across. In my toolkit of presentation programs, I think that prezi was definitely the best choice. I would not have felt that a glog from glogster.com would not have been able to support the information I thought was important to share. After using prezi, a powerpoint seems like an outdated tool. There are features in powerpoint that a prezi can not accommodate, so given the proper circumstances, powerpoint still serves a purpose.

Through this experience, I learned more about the topic of flipped classrooms and other blended learning environments. There are two web pages that are linked at the end of the presentation. These two pages are links to descriptions and tips for a flipped classroom environment. Both pages are extremely helpful for teachers that are looking to try a flipped classroom. They are full of videos, tools, resources, and tips to successfully flip your classroom. I also found a video that is embedded into the presentation. In the video, a teacher is explaining how he uses flipped classroom strategies in his room and how they compare to traditional classrooms and classrooms that use in class video lectures to teach the class. These resources gave me first hand insight to the process of creating a flipped classroom.

When working towards a classroom flip, the teacher needs to understand the technology and use it well. Technology is becoming more and more important to classrooms every day. Students respond well to the tools that are used effectively and their levels of understanding show their educational growth. Through this project, I have learned many things that I will most certainly use in the future, but the most important take away that I got from this project is to try new things. Trying a new presentation, trying a new classroom model, or a new piece of technology can be a great experience. It is important to remember to try and reflect on what you did. This method is something that we need to follow and teach to our students to support their learning and our own learning.