Literature and Technology Project Reflection

I thoroughly enjoyed this project. I loved reading children’s books, especially the pictures books! I think I have broadened my love of books. I used to hate nonfiction books because I found them boring. For this project, I chose nonfiction books that were about interesting topics such as football and Will Smith, and now I learned that I actually like reading nonfiction books! I also had fun reading books that I remembered loving with I was a kid, such as the American Girl books and Freckle Juice.
I also had fun trying out various technologies. Blogging, using voice thread, and using Inspiration were all exciting! My favorite technology was probably the voice thread. I had never even heard of voice thread before this year, and now I plan on using it in the future with my students and just for fun! I found lots of great websites and resources that contained tons of lesson plans that integrate literature and technology. These will be wonderful to refer back to once I become a teacher. These websites are great time savers because they already have great lessons written, and they are even already broken down by grade level!
My favorite part of the project was probably teaching my students about voice thread. They seemed to “into it” and captivated! The students kept talking about voice thread for the next few weeks! They are about to use voice thread again for a science class, and their teacher was excited to hear that they already learned about voice thread from me! It is great to see how technology can be used in all content areas, including science, literature, social studies, math, language arts, etc.
I think that I now have a great understanding of various technologies. By using the technologies, teaching about the technologies, and researching about technologies, I now feel very well informed. I will remember to use these when I teach. Technology is great for kids of all ages, and it is definitely wonderful for third-fifth grade. Technology can be great for advanced or gifted students because it gives them an opportunity to extend and apply their knowledge. Technology can also be great for students who struggle to write or have messy handwriting. Some students cannot write well, but they thrive when given a chance to express themselves using their vocal skills, so voice thread would be great for these students! Visual learners would do well with technologies such as Inspiration and the fun Wordle site that we used in the beginning of the semester. English Language Learners can enjoy technology as well. Some technologies allow for translations, so this would be a great way for students who are still learning English to get involved! Our world is rapidly creating new technologies, and after learning how fun and exciting technology can be, I plan on staying informed about the new technology that becomes available! I plan on using technology, especially when teaching literature, as often as possible when I teach!