Reflection on Things 1-7

The technology applications that have been given to use in the first seven lessons offer numerous helps, not only for the teacher, but for the students as well.  The more students progress through their education experience the more they will be expected to access, to collborate on, and to write about a multitude of things.  Learning the shortcuts, collaborative tools, internet help sites, etc...will make this process speedier and much more effective than students have been able to accomplish in the past.
As an educator, a world of possibilities open up as a result of availability of this same knowledge.  Resources that are quickly accessed, producing documents much more quickly, book marking web pages that you access multiple times, and through collaboration with other educators having even more lesson plans and ideas available to benefit your own instruction  .
In the area of technical litercy it is the teacher's responsibility to provide the information necessary to help their students aquire the knowledge and skills they will need to compete in the 21st Century. This technology is in line with UDLs three principles which are to provide multiple means of representation, expression, and of engagement.
Having been a 5th grade teacher I have seen the benefits of allowing students to work collboratively whenever possible, in all content areas.  I was especially impressed with Google Docs. that allows students to share, collaborate, and edit on-line, in real time.  Having been the science teacher for my 5th grade team, I immediately saw how well Google docs could work for a project concerning global warming.  Since it such a controversial topic I would have my students choose a position, pro or con about the concept of global warming.  Working in groups of from 3-5, students would be able to experience ongoing collabloration throughout the process of competing their project.  Many times it can fall to one person to carry the brunt of the workload, but with Google docs division of the workload can be done fairly with the understanding that what each person contributes to the whole can be viewed, discussed, and edited by the others in their group.  Although students may check on progress individually, they also have the choice to set up a 'meeting' in real time from home or other locations away from school.  With bookmarking tools they can compile possible on-line resources to choose from, and with Jing, capturing pictures or documents allows the other members of their team to make their choices and give their input into what they will eventually use to state their position as strongly as possible.
Several Michigan state standards are met in just the technology area alone:
3-5 R1 Research and Information Literacy

• 3-5 R12- use digital tools to find, organize, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.

3-5 Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making

• 3-5  CT.3  use digital resources to identify and investigate a state, national, or global issue.

3-5 TC Technology, Operations and Concepts

• 3-5 TC.5- know how to exchange files with other students using technology, (e.g., network file sharing, flash drives).

Marzano's Incorporating cooperative Learning Effectively- using elements of cooperative learning has strategies that fit this type of assignment well. Students have the opportunity to build positive, interdependence, have face-to-face promotive interaction (whether in the same room or through live chat), individual accountability for the portion each is assigned as well as the group accountability to offer input, suggestions, etc.. Interpersonal and small group skills will be strengthened as well as their processing skills.
This is only one brief glimpse of the powerful impact this technology can have on education in the 21st Century.