Thing #23

It would be ridiculous for me to try to adequately summarize this entire experience in one blog post.  So, I’ll try to put it in one sentence: It’s been a crazy, long, exhausting, overwhelming, and exhilarating experience that has changed my perspective on my students and my role as their teacher.  Through this experience, I have learned to respect my students for their ability to navigate the ba-jillion different online resources at their fingertips.  And, my perspective on their involvement in the internet has changed.  I’ve learned that it can be useful, if used in the correct way.  And, now I realize that part of my responsibility as their teacher is to model correct use and respect for the resources.  I have already noticed things from this course creeping into my mind as I teach this year.  ”I think I’ll use Jing videos to make math tutorials for the kids.”  ”I need a good project for Algebra…I wonder if we could do a vocaroo.”  ”I would love to give my eighth graders an assignment over trip week…I wonder if mixbook would work.”  It’s surprising, to be honest, because I was so overwhelmed during the course.  But, it’s exciting too.  I hope my excitement and commitment is rubbing off on my other colleagues who have not experienced this class.  We’ll see.  Onward…With great thanks.