Mike+H

Mike H

MICHAEL M. HATZIKOSTANTIS FINAL REFLECTION ON SEMESTER: WHAT DID I LEARN THIS SEMESTER? What did I learn this semester? First, I have to say, “Wow!” This was by far my favorite class here at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Connecticut. Nicole Feeney was simply “The best!” Saint Joseph College would benefit from hiring her on a more permanent basis. Never had I felt more comfortable in a class than I did this semester. The course work, the speed in which we completed our assigned projects, the weekly blogging, our textbooks, as well as the Assistive Technology which we were introduced to were done in stress-free manner. On a scale from one to ten, I have to give a twenty. Digital Citizenship is still in its infancy stage. Technology is changing constantly and the laws cannot keep with this this explosion. I really appreciated one of our earliest blogs which asked us to discuss a personal bullying experience from our lives. This is a tough subject for me because it brings bag so many bad memories. However, those experiences made me a stronger person and I believe it allows me to help others who are currently dealing with this situation. Moreover, our class joined thousands of others to demand the Motion Picture Association of America to lower the “R” rating they gave the movie, “The Bully Project” to the requested “PG-13” rating. This act shows just how powerful our voices can be when we stand united against a social injustice. This was a powerful lesson to learn and one that we should all learn especially with the accessibility of social media today. Early in the semester, our syllabus posed a simple question. The question was “Does a 21st century classroom have to integrate technology?” I went to school before personal computers were in most homes, the creation of smart phones, social media, IPads (tablets), etc. I did great in school. However, times have changed. These technological items are all around us. I still do not believe in teaching technology for technology sake. Students must first have a firm grasp of the concepts being taught. Technology can then be implement to enhance learning. Teachers as well as parents/guardians have to teach proper control. Students today over use technology and have lost simple communication skills. This is something I discussed several times in my blog as well as my final project on our Digital Citizenship Constitution. I finally learned how to create a working blog, invite my Sunday School students to that blog, post important religious issues into the blog, and create a positive atmosphere within the blog so that my students could post their beliefs and comments. While I was disappointed that many of my students did not participate, I was very impressed by those who took the time and posted several comments. I have to thank Prof. Feeney for her help and guidance throughout this process especially when things did not go as planned. Another positive experience this semester was our trip to NEAT. My only contact with that building was when I did my U S Census training in 2010. I did not realize just how much they do there with assistive technology and with refurbished items for those who have no insurance or for when insurance denies any further payouts. Toward to end of our time there, we were introduced to some other types of software to help students with special needs. However, it went deeper than that. These applications created a “Universal” setting were no student feels different. I only regret two things; one, that the technology piece was last, and two; that I had to leave 25 minutes early. In conclusion, I have to argue that this semester has been very positive, engaging, informative, and fun. I want to thank Prof. Nicole Feeney for everything she has done for us this semester and look forward to utilizing these resources in a future classroom. Moreover, I also learned that while this technology is not going away, we have to teach everyone about its proper uses.