Reflection #4 – Technology as Support Not the Focus

For this task, I used Canva to design the title for my website and WordArt to create a text bubble filled with words that describe me. Canva allowed me to experiment with fonts, color, and layout to create a title that felt clean, welcoming, and true to my style. Using WordArt helped me visually represent my personality by turning descriptive words into an engaging design that adds a personal touch to my page.

Even though I enjoyed exploring these tools, I don’t plan on using a lot of technology in my classroom. My teaching philosophy is centered around hands-on, collaborative, and outdoor learning experiences where students can move, communicate, and connect in authentic ways. I believe learning happens best through interaction and experience rather than screens.

That said, this task reminded me of the value of visual communication. Tools like Canva and WordArt can make information more accessible and engaging especially for visual learners. While I may not rely heavily on digital technology, I can see the benefit of using it occasionally to create teacher visuals, such as class posters, anchor charts, or title pages for displays.

This experience showed me that technology can serve as a helpful support tool rather than a focus. It can enhance learning materials, express personality, and make information clear all while allowing me to stay true to my hands-on and relationship-focused teaching approach.