My Final Reflection on TPTE

At the beginning of the semester, I was somewhat concerned about all of the projects we would have to complete, as I do not consider myself a particularly knowledgeable person when it comes to technology. However, as the semester comes to an end, I really value all of the learning opportunities and experiences that I have had in TPTE. I not only learned how to create digital stories, digital diagrams, and flip charts to use for interactive whiteboards, I learned how to create them to be developmentally appropriate for the children I will be working with in the future. All of these projects have opened my eyes to the possibilities of how I can incorporate technology into my future classroom to get my students excited about learning. My favorite thing that I developed over the semester was my classroom website. Before, I had not considered making a website for my future classroom. Now, I have a better appreciation of how a classroom website could be a valuable resource for communicating with my future students and their families, as well as sharing all of the important work we will be doing in our classroom. I think this class has taught me more about problem solving, persistence, and patience when it comes to completing tasks that I am not familiar or comfortable with. When it comes to technology, I usually get frustrated with things that are difficult, or I avoid doing those things altogether. I certainly never try to utilize technology in new ways; I stick to what I know how to do. Working through the various projects throughout the semester has challenged me in many ways, which has forced me to find strategies to help myself successfully complete each task. Overall, I am very proud of the work I have completed and am glad for the multiple ways this class has forced me out of my comfort zone.