Reflection

Getting Ready to Land... 

or Take Off Again?

Two months ago I embarked on a new journey of blogging. Encouraged by my professor in my EDU776 class, I packed my bags and I was ready to go. 

Image Source: Giphy

It’s going to be a wild ride.

And a wild ride it has been! I truly did not think that I would like blogging as much as I do... I often write the way that I speak and have always lacked the confidence in writing for an audience; however, even though my course is coming to a close, I don't think I am ready yet to land this plane. It has been a great reflective opportunity for me to see how much I learned and grew over the course of only 8 weeks! Can you imagine what it would look like after a year?! Even if it isn't shared with anyone but myself, I appreciate the time to learn and document it into a fun, colorful, and image-filled space. 😊

I always knew the importance of technology in education, especially in the world we live in today. But technology is so much more than "preparing them for the real-world." It is having them create, connect, and collaborate in ways that weren't possible when I was a kid. Learning all about the ways that this can be accomplished, and the viewpoints behind them, truly stretch my brain in ways I didn't think was possible. 

However, since I am a numbers gal, let me break down the Top 5 souvenirs from my EDU776 trip:

1.) This Blog: Again, the reflective and portfolio aspect is truly powerful. I find myself lost in thought as to how I can (and will) continue to build upon it. I am hopeful that my other classes to follow will have us doing so, but in the case that it doesn't I plan on doing so in my free time. I do not care if I have any followers or anyone that stumbles upon it; I do care that I am using the time for myself to remember the small moments and journeys that I take. 

2.) Perseverance: There is something about the way I felt when I hit the dead end on my research for encouraging student engagement and reading practice through the Web 2.0 Tools assignment that will stick with me. I had been so excited to find the tool StoryShares and wanted to share it with everyone, only to find that it wasn't working the way it had intended to do. So I persevered and found something similar (and maybe better?) with Epic! For Educators. Both sites were completely out of my wheelhouse and ones I became proud to share to others. 

3.) FlipGrid: I am not a video person, especially when it is of myself. But this was different. It was something that kept your time short and made you have to summarize your thoughts quickly. I had never used FlipGrid before but I could see it being used in so many aspects of education, not just the classroom. I have already heard that students in ELA are using it to give reviews of the books they have just completed. I could also see it in Math (or really any) class as a pre-assessment: tell me everything you know and don't know about rational numbers. It can be used to get views on a topic, get to know a student better, and more. 

4.) Being Social: This course truly changed my view on Twitter as a professional learner and social media in the classroom. In September I had a Twitter account that was used years ago to find out if we had a snow day or not. I thought it was for old people and something that was soon going to be phased out. When one of my classmates in our cohort spoke about how powerful it was, I was still skeptical... I was wrong. The app is now one that I regularly check and use as a reference tool when I am searching for something. I also didn't think I would ever consider incorporating social media in the classroom. I was one that would probably blame it for the bullying, pain, and suffering that students are experiencing these days; but the truth it it was always there. Social media just shows it to everyone. Teenagers. Students. The world needs to be educated on how to use it appropriately, and the reasons why it is so important to their identity. 

5.) Reflecting (outside the Blog): My top two favorite assignments of this course (other than the Blog) was probably where I was the most reflective in my work: Mapping My Digital Space and my Professional Web Presence. In both I got to sit down and just think about what I do, when I do it, and how I do it. I had created a curriculum vitae when I applied for the Math Curriculum Specialist position in our district, so when I received this assignment I thought, "piece of cake! I have it done!"... I was wrong... again... I ended up scrapping most of it and starting over, but it forced me to stop and think about what I have and haven't done in the past five years since creating it. I found myself continuously thinking, "oh shoot! I didn't add this amazing website!"
The same goes for when I mapped out My Digital Space. I found out so much about me when it comes to the websites, programs, and apps that I use regularly. I don't feel like I put down my phone or computer as much as I should, but now I feel like I have a purpose behind it. 

To say that it has been a wild ride is an understatement. I cannot wait for the next adventure that lays ahead. 

Image Source: Giphy

A special thanks to my professor Nicole who opened my eyes and allowed me to embark on this trip.