Introduction
My colleague Todd and I recently engaged in a reflective dialogue about a teaching experience that was both powerful and meaningful in terms of technology use and integration. This exchange offered an opportunity to deepen our shared understanding of teaching with technology. As Louie, Drevdahl, Purdy, and Stackman (2003) argue, collaborative self-study empowers educators to move beyond surface-level improvement and toward the co-construction of pedagogical knowledge. This kind of collegial exchange fosters ongoing, practitioner-driven inquiry rooted in our individual teaching contexts. Our conversation became a reflective practice in itself. It encouraged us to think more deeply about our experiences and identify ways to grow and improve.
Our Experiences
Shantel
One of the most meaningful learning experiences I’ve had as a teacher was leading a two-part professional development series on Desmos, presented both to my school staff and through the Maryland Society of Educational Technology (MSET). I designed the sessions with a focus on adaptability, cross-curricular relevance, and student-centered engagement.
The first session, Desmos: Not Just for Math, introduced educators to Desmos through the lens of the learner. Participants engaged in interactive activities such as math challenges, card sorts, and digital games—adapted to various content areas including science, social studies, language arts, and art. This immersive approach allowed teachers to see how Desmos could support creative and flexible instruction across disciplines, shifting the perception that it is solely a math tool.
The second session centered on formative assessment and explored how Desmos enables real-time feedback, class-wide data analysis, and tools for student reflection, such as sketch pads and open-ended prompts. Teachers saw how these features could be used to monitor student understanding and adjust instruction in both synchronous and asynchronous settings. Across both sessions, educators were encouraged to explore, collaborate, and reflect—mirroring the type of learning we aim to foster in our classrooms.
Todd
One powerful and meaningful learning experience I provided for my students was a virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I designed an interactive, student-centered activity in which students explored the self-guided virtual museum and documented their findings. They were required to visit at least five exhibits, recording the exhibit name, three interesting facts, and their favorite part of each with explanations.
The activity emphasized student choice and exploration. By allowing students to navigate the museum independently, they were able to engage more deeply with content that sparked their curiosity. This approach promoted critical thinking and personal connection to the material, as students reflected on a wide range of scientific topics and species represented in the exhibits.
Technology played a central role in enhancing access and engagement. The virtual tour provided a rich, immersive experience that brought real-world science into the classroom. It also helped students develop digital literacy as they navigated the exhibits and organized their notes. This experience served as a foundation for a culminating project in which students designed their own museum exhibits, drawing from what they learned about how museums present scientific content. Overall, the lesson enriched both their understanding and their final products.
Feedback
Todd and I spent meaningful time providing feedback on each other’s instructional experiences. This part of the project proved to be especially valuable for our individual growth and professional development. Through thoughtful reflection and dialogue, we deepened our understanding of effective teaching practices and innovative use of technology. Below are our responses to the following reflection prompts, based on each other’s stories:
- What might have made it more powerful?
- Why do you think they found this to be such a powerful learning experience?
- What additional insights do you have about why the experience was so powerful?
Why do you think they found this to be such a powerful learning experience?
Todd’s Feedback on Shantel’s Experience:
Todd found the Desmos PD to be a powerful and meaningful experience because it gave instructional staff across various content areas the chance to engage with Desmos in a hands-on, immersive way. The session clearly illustrated how Desmos could be used for more than just math instruction. It can also be used to support formative assessment, data analysis, and reflection which can help teachers create student-centered learning experiences in any content area.
Shantel’s Feedback on Todd’s Experience:
Shantel found Todd’s virtual Smithsonian Museum tour activity to be powerful because it immersed students in real-world, exploratory learning. It gave students opportunities to access or build background knowledge through multimedia, self-directed engagement. The structured note-taking component encouraged purposeful reflection, enhancing both the rigor and relevance of the learning experience.
What additional insights do you have about why the experience was so powerful?
Todd’s Feedback on Shantel’s Experience:
Todd emphasized how Shantel’s PD aligned with innovation in education by showing Desmos as a tool for collaboration, reflection, and multiple instructional strategies. Drawing from his own use of Desmos in science classrooms, he connected the experience to Couros’s idea that technology should be used meaningfully to enhance instruction.
Shantel’s Feedback on Todd’s Experience:
Shantel highlighted that Todd’s lesson aligned well with constructivist learning principles. It encouraged students to take ownership of their learning, which fosters intrinsic motivation and higher-order thinking. She also appreciated how the activity built digital literacy and served as a strong foundation for a culminating project which invited students to become exhibit designers after first stepping into the role of museum visitors.
What might have made it more powerful?
Todd’s Feedback on Shantel’s Experience:
Todd suggested that the Desmos PD could be even more impactful by incorporating time for participants to create and share their own activities. He also recommended using Desmos to collect real-time feedback during the session and differentiating instruction through breakout groups based on comfort level. These strategies could make the PD more interactive, personalized, and responsive to participants’ needs.
Shantel’s Feedback on Todd’s Experience:
Shantel suggested that adding opportunities for peer interaction during the virtual museum tour could further enhance the experience. Small group discussions and collaborative sharing of findings might deepen understanding and develop communication skills. These enhancements could help students gain new perspectives and make the activity even more dynamic and socially engaging.
Reflection Summary
Reflecting on this project and the feedback exchange with Todd, I’ve come to appreciate the power of collaborative reflection in improving teaching practice. What started as a personal reflection on a meaningful Desmos PD session evolved into a deeper understanding of how professional development can model innovation, responsiveness, and learner-centered design. Todd’s insights validated the strengths of my PD sessions while offering actionable ideas such as breakout groups, time for activity creation, and real-time feedback that I can apply to future PDs. This experience also reinforced the importance of mindset in innovation, as Couros (2015) suggests to continually seek better ways to support learning. Engaging in this kind of professional dialogue reminded me of the value of community in fostering growth. As Louie et al. (2003) emphasize, peer feedback and collaborative reflection deepen our understanding of practice and help drive meaningful change. I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow through this exchange and look forward to applying these insights to future work.