CEDO 555 Blog #1-Reflections of Learning

Wow! I can hardly believe it is time to begin preparing for the end of this journey. It has been a long and short road to this point, but one that I have thoroughly enjoyed. When I reflect on my time as a graduate student in this program, my initial purpose for entering the program comes to mind. I was seeking to become a more effective educator, to become a better teacher for the students I have the privilege of working with in my classroom. I had no idea how fast the time would pass, how much I did not know about technology and how much I would learn. I wanted to improve the ways in which I incorporated technology into my lesson, but I learned so much more.

What challenges have I faced during my courses of study? There have been many, but I prefer to look at them as adventures. One of the first for me was learning to navigate the various LMS used by my instructors. I had trouble adjusting to having everything from the syllabus to rubrics and assignments being posted online and having to access them using the LMS. By the time I mastered, or semi-mastered, one system the current class was over and it was time to learn to navigate another one. I quickly learned that I preferred some over others and dreaded revisiting those that had made my nights of studying complicated and anxious. What I learned from those experiences is to be flexible in my planning as a student and teacher.

I have also experienced some true triumphs that have already helped reshape the practices in my classroom. In addition to discovering new technologies that I had not known about before this program, I also learned how to determine the best uses for these technologies and when it is appropriate to use technology. Many educators believe that using technology in the classrooms enhances the lessons taught, I agree, but the focus of the lesson must be the content and not the technology.

Learning for me this last past year or so has been filled with much confidence building, enriching activities, making new educator friends found in my cohort and developing a network of knowledgeable mentors through my instructors. Filling my technology toolbox has also been a thrill as I tested and tried many learning technologies to use with students and other teachers. Tools for social bookmarking, tools for collaboration and tools for establishing social and professional networks have been some of the best finds for me along the way.

As I move forward and begin compiling my portfolio, I know the work and time spent will be intense and bittersweet.