Blog 10

    At the beginning of the semester, my Personal Learning Network was small and mostly centered on people I already knew, like classmates and my instructor. Over time, it has expanded to include teachers, websites, and professional organizations that share reliable resources. The spaces I use have also shifted from mainly social media to more professional spaces like educational blogs and discussion platforms. My tools have grown as well, moving from basic searching and bookmarking to organized platforms like Blogger. Overall, my PLN is still focused on supporting my learning, but it has become more intentional, diverse, and interactive.

    As a future elementary school science teacher, I expect to rely on data collection tools to better understand my students and guide instruction. Tools like Qualtrics and Google Forms will help me gather information about students’ prior knowledge before starting a new unit. I can also use surveys to check how confident students feel about certain topics. These tools will help me monitor the classroom and adjust my teaching based on student feedback. Overall, data collection will allow me to make more informed decisions and create a more supportive learning environment.

    A technology skill I would like to learn next is how to create interactive digital simulations for science lessons. My SMART goal is to learn to design elementary level science simulations. I will work toward this by completing one tutorial per week and practicing regularly with the platform tools. I also plan to ask a peer or mentor to review my work so I can improve the final products. By following this plan, I will build a skill that makes my lessons more engaging and interactive for students.

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