High Tech Reflection Strategies Make Learning Slick

Variations of Reflections


Out of all the readings this past week, I was very much drawn to to this article by Suzie Boss. In the article she talks about ways of using technology in the classroom to veer away from the more traditional ways that students have shared their reflections with their teachers and class.

Some of these ways are blogs, video confessionals, project exchange, flat classroom project, voice thread and classroom displays to name a few. Blogs, what's that? It's what we are all doing weekly in this class, i.e. this is our reflection as to what we've read and experienced in class this past week.

According to Mayo, "Blogs naturally put an emphasis on reflection" , and "It helps build their confidence as writers". I like the idea of having the students be able to look back on previous blogs they have written to see their progress as budding writers!

I think that the most important purpose for students writing blogs, and blogs in general, is that blogs according to Katie Charner-Laird, "reflection is the mind's strongest 'glue' for making connections essential to understanding, regardless of subject matter".

I also connected to the whole idea of video confessionals. Familiar with the term? Ever watch an episode of THE REAL WORLD? That's the connection I made immediately, and isn't that what learning is all about? CONNECTIONS! Think about it. What student doesn't like to see themselves on TV? And as Ruth Farmer says, "They already know how to do it from watching reality TV".