First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am trying to get all my work done so that I can enjoy the last few days of break (homework free). Since I have some free time now I decided I would work on my blog. I am also a little sad :( to say that this will be my last entry into this blog. I enjoyed keeping it and I would love to keep another one. My main problem is that I do not have motivation to write in one on my own. I do not really have anything to write about or any extreme passions or what not. Hopefully one day I will find my passion to blog about something. One kind of blog that I really enjoy are ones that are like year long projects. For example after reading Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project (2009), which was turned into a book. You can see her blog here:http://www.happiness-project.com/. I really enjoyed her idea of documenting one year of her trying various techniques to find happiness. (I highly recommend the book). Interestingly enough, one of her projects was to start a blog. She found that it brought it her a lot of happiness because she was able to interact with her readers on an intimate level through the comments section. If I were to start my own blog, I would definitely model it after hers.
Anyways, in closing I would like to make a few remarks about my experience in the Introduction to Teaching with Digital Tools course. I highly enjoyed this course. It opened up my mind to the myriad of possibilities of using technology when I teach. Prior to this class, I had a slight interest in technology but I never knew how to apply it to my own pedagogy. This class definitely provided me with a lot of inspiration that I plan to implement once I start teaching. I love the idea of using a wiki. I would love to set up a wiki for my students in which they can access assignments, websites, documents, and interact with one another. I also plan on implementing skills for Twenty First Century learners into my lessons. I feel that this class has prepared me for becoming an educator in these modern times and provided me with positive attitude about creating and implementing change in the classroom. One quote that I really liked and would like to leave you with was, "Steer less and suggest more" (S.Nash as cited in Richardson p.143). I think this quote summarizes the direction that 21st century educators should be moving. They should move toward a goal of not spoon feeding students with information but with providing them with the knowledge and tools that they need to find the information for themselves. I would like to implement this style of teaching into my own pedagogy.
Louise,
ReplyDeleteYour suggestion to read the Happiness Project reminded me of the book, later turned into a movie, called Eat, Pray, Love. You should all read this too! Anyway, in your reflections on our class, I too realize how much I have learned both about technology, and my own personal digital literacy. I have gained insight and ideas from many of class members that I may have not been able to gain in a classroom setting. I feel as though I like having a few online classes mixed with a few in classroom setting sessions as well. This class has helped me a lot, and I would definitely recommend it to future GSE students.
-Sammi
I have read and seen Eat, Pray, Love too. I enjoyed it very much. I really like the format of maintaining a blog about a yearly project and maybe one day when I get motivated enough, I will try it. I liked The Happiness Project a little bit better though because it was much more accessible. It gave little ways one could change their life without having to travel to india, Indonesia and Italy.
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