EEND 675 Reflection

Over this course there have been a handful of ideas to reflect upon, such as articles, discussions, how we have evolved as teachers, and how we plan to continue our learning. I feel that I have definitely gained knowledge and was able to practice new skills with my student because I took this course, which will only benefit myself and students in the long run.

One of the interesting theories we read about was the 4Cs in education. “Today’s students are moving beyond the basics and are embracing the 4 Cs—“super skills” for the 21st Century: Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration. [These] 21st Century Skills [need to be] infused in the Common Core Standards which are the end goals of the Career and College Ready Standards” (Kivunja, C. (2015). Ensuring that educators follow the 4Cs for our 21st Century learner is imperative to making sure students are able to keep up with peers around the world. I thought that the articles that focused on the 4Cs were very important fundamentals to read about. I feel too often people are terrible communicators and lack critical thinking skills. However, if we begin to teach children how to communicate clearly, and effectively, they will be able to collaborate with one another better.  I think that when you show children to slow down and analyze what they’re doing, or what they are answering, I think that helps them become better critical thinkers. Lastly, creativity is essential for students of the 21st century because they need to be equally as innovative as their global peers.

I also liked the discussions with my peers because sometimes when I was feeling insecure or overwhelmed, and then realized I was not the only one, it made me feel more comfortable going forward. That as long as we keep working together and sharing ideas, that we will benefit from one another. I also liked that often my classmates shared different things that I did not know about, and through them sharing their ideas and tools they’ve used, I was able to gain more insight on particular frameworks and/or tools I previously did not know about.

I feel this course has helped me grow as an educator because I learned of new technologies and tools teachers could implement in their classroom. For example, the Linoit page I learned about through one of the modules St. Francis posted.  I read it, watched a youtube video on how to use it, and then created my own. Luckily I still had a few weeks with students so I was able to practice with them and see how effective or ineffective the website was. I did not know what I was expecting, but I do know that I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. My students were extremely engaged when completing their assignment. It was really cool to see, how I could learn something, quickly apply it, and analyze it’s usefulness in a short period of time. I look forward to new skills and tools that upcoming courses may teach us.

I have hopes that as we continue this course, that I can see past my frustrations, and confusion, and know that the end will certainly justify the means. I understand why there are many teachers resisting technology because of it’s newness. However, the more I learn and equip myself, the more I am able to collaborate and help my fellow peers. I do not like the vagueness of the rubric or assignments sometimes, which has caused me anxiety… I try to respond to my best ability to what I interpret the assignment asking. I am optimistic that as I continue through this endorsement, I will feel less overwhelmed, I will have the proper guidance from my instructor, and in the end leave with a set of knowledge and skills that will transform my classroom, my teaching, and truly help my students evolve into a 21st Century learner.

Hopkins, D. (2011, August 9). Technology Enhanced Learning Blog. Retrieved from http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/video/4cs-communication-collaboration-critical-thinking-and-creativity/

Kivunja, C. (2015). Exploring the pedagogical meaning and implications of the 4Cs “super skills” for the 21st century through Bruner’s 5E lenses of knowledge construction to improve pedagogies of the new learning paradigm. Creative Education, 6(02), 224.