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All of the modules, compiled.

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The group show & tell, detailing the app "Book Creator"

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The individual show & tell, detailing the app "Kahoot!"

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Ekphrasis poetry and the merge cube

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Green screen technology and Shakespeare

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A representation of my relationship with technology, and its integration in ELA.

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People often think that technology doesn't really belong in an ELA classroom. Some say that physical books, paper, and pencils are the best way to approach this subject. Through this course I've learned that that doesn't have to be the way. In fact, doing simple read-alouds or book clubs can be boring and disengaging for students. As teachers it is our duty to engage with our students in ways that are more meaningful than simple repetition or rote memorization.
It is my belief that technology certainly does belong in the ELA classroom, and this portfolio aims to outline ways in which tech can be integrated into our lesson plans. Through this integration, our students will have more memorable and fun lessons, and will ideally retain more knowldege than they would with old school book learning.

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I feel truly lucky to have had my group members throughout this process. I was paired with such creative, intelligent, and capable individuals I sometimes felt inadequate in their presence. This is not because of them, but because of my own insecurities. They were so supportive and the work that we completed over the term is very meaningful to me. Throughout my Bachelor of Education, we've done various group tasks but nothing to this scale. Having the opportunity to work with the same group members over the course of a term helped us all in tremendous ways. Because of the time allotted and the variety of tasks to be completed, we were all able to use our unique perspectives and experiences to create some work that I am truly proud of. If it weren't for the support of my group, I'm sure I would not be able to produce such a high quality of work as I feel we did. We helped build on one another's ideas and combined our unique skill sets and ideas in ways that felt harmonious. Being able to collaborate and work within group settings is a necessary life skill, especially for teachers, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hone those skills over the course of the term.

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At the beginning of the term, I had never heard of TPACK before. Early on in the course you had us place ourselves using the TPACK model. At that time, I felt I had a large amount of content knowledge, a medium amount of pedagogical knowledge, and a small amount of technological knowledge.

Content Knowledge:

Since I was a child, I've always been a voracious reader. This hobby has served me well in the ELA classroom, as I now possess a wealth of literary knowledge to pull from. Beyond just the books I've read, my undergraduate degree was a major in English, so I also have a nuanced understanding of various literary terms and devices, which again serves me well. Following graduation, I taught English as an additional language for 5 years, which gave me a better understanding of English grammar and its functions, my life experience has made me confident in my content knowledge, and I often remind myself that with ELA especially, it will be very easy for me to brush up on aspects I am less familiar with or to read or study what I plan to do with my class prior to teaching. For these reasons, I do not feel my content knowledge has increased greatly over the term, but only because I was confident with it to begin with.

Pedagogical Knowledge:
As mentioned I had a base level of pedagogical knowledge at the outset of this course, but it has definitely increased throughout the term. Working with my CoP cohort was instrumental in this. My group members often had ways of approaching teaching I had not previously considered, or were able to direct me to various resources, scholars, or educational theorists who offered a wide variety of pedagogical knowledge that in turn increased my own understanding. The CoP assignments were beneficial in more ways than one and as I previously mentioned are representative of one of the most meaningful experiences I've had at the Mount.

Technological Knowledge:

As I stated in my introduction, many people feel that technology integration in the ELA classroom is unnecessary. I too used to feel this way. As a millennial I have a base level of technological abilities. I can navigate the internet with ease, use various word processors, social media, and other basic computer-based things. I did not, however, have a wealth of education specific technology knowledge. This class has shown me that there are vast amounts of tech for use in the classroom, and integrating them into my class will be engaging and meaningful for my students.