Reflective Post: Epiphany

Hi everyone!

For my final post for my grad class, I'm blogging about my Epiphany from this semester!

Prior to this semester, I had taken 2 technology graduate courses. During each one, I felt discouraged by the types of technology that I was exposed to and the expectations that the professors had for how my students should be able to use it. The things that were being offered were not reasonable expectations for 6 and 7 year olds...and no one seemed to understand that!

However, this semester the expectations were realistic! I realized that I am already doing a lot for my students {see here} and there are even more things that these young kids are capable of doing.

In the past, when I thought of gamification, I thought it had to utilize video game structure and tying them into my classroom. I had no idea that certain things that I was doing in my classroom already were actually examples of gamification {see here}!

In my technology course last semester, I said that my epiphany was that AR or VR could realistically be included in elementary classrooms. I wasn't sure how that would work for first graders...until someone in my class this semester introduced me to the Merge Cube. These are a simple way to incorporate VR into the classroom!

I recently found a few at my local Wal-mart, but you can also pick them up {here} on Amazon. There are a few free apps that work with the iPads & merge cubes. Students can learn about the human body, the solar system, and more! The merge cube is like a hologram in your hand!

During this semester, I also found more ways to include STEM and Coding into my classroom for my students {see here}.

Through Donor's Choose Projects, I was able to get a Bee Bot for my classroom and a Code & Go Mouse. My students used them this week for the first time and they were a huge hit! I can't wait to see what they can do with them going forward!

Overall, I feel good about what I am providing my students in the classroom and I feel like I have found more ways to incorporate technology in the future! I am amazed by what my first graders are able to do when coding and using VR, and I can't wait to show others in my school what possibilities are out there for them to use as well.