Project 5 Task 1

Students of all ages can blog.  Blogging encourages students to write and share their ideas with others.  Each posts provides an the writer an opportunity for feedback and an effective way to communicate in a group process.  Blogging has become a journalistic way of publish material through a quick and easy process.  It helps students to become better writers, as they tend to write longer and take greater care to details in grammar and punctuation.  Collaboration is a 21st century learning skill and this can be done though blogging. 

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Professional Development Courses

CED0599 FINAL Post

Hard to believe after all this time this will be my final post as this graduate program is coming to an end.  It's difficult to think back to the beginning since this has been a constant in my life for almost the past 2 years.  Prior to this program I was already using any technology in my classroom that I could get my hands on.  I felt I was, and still am, a positive influence of the use of technology in my school and district.  This is what drew me to this program to begin with.  Here's what this program has done for me, besides all the knowledge I have gained.  I did and would have used technology with or without this program, however, this program provided me with tools (and therefore skills) I was unaware of before.  I might have found some of the tools on my own, but after this program I feel I'm stronger in finding new programs and tools on my own.  In addition, I've had to "struggle" through the learning curve week after week to learn not only one new program, but usually anywhere from 1 to 4 (or more) a week - especially during the first+ year of this program.  Several times I'd take the new program and immediately find a way to incorporate it into my classes with my students.  It was a win-win for all.

I can honestly say I've never looked inside a computer prior to this course.  I knew some of the details about Apple and Mac, but I sure learned a lot more about beginning of the computers and the internet.  I've used programs I had never heard of, and found new ways to use programs I had used.  I've been able to facilitate a synchronous and an asynchronous lesson and I've gained certification to teach students online (I'll definitely be pursuing this in the future.)  I might also say it has given me a little different perspective of virtual learning. (Anyone know of anyone highering?)  I still don't think it's for everyone, but it's an option for some.  Never hurts to have options.  I definitely can see the benefits and I learned about blended ed.  As an adult I've certainly enjoyed the online learning experience, although I did wonder where flexibility fits in. :)  I've created my first blog, yes I did say, first.  I'm planning on blogging.  I've learned about social bookmarking, collaborating in a new way, I was able to learn and use gmail and Google prior to my district getting it.  That feels/felt great.  It's allowed me to be again demonstrate my knowledge with my peers.  What a good feeling.   There's so many things I've learned and will be taking away from this program that are just the fabric of my life now.  It's a great feeling when someone sends me a link to a "new" program or tool and I know that I've already used it, I'm using it, or I already know about it.  I plan on continuing to grow (as we all should) and would like to present or teach peers about ways to incorporate technology into their learning environment.  So if you know of any opportunities, Louis - wink, wink, nudge, nudge, keep me in mind. :)

Some things I wish - is that I had a copy of all of the syllabus or at least all the programs we were exposed to.  I learned about so many programs, but there were many that I didn't look at.  Now that I'm done I'd like to explore those programs more.  Looking back I also would have liked to have created a place where I would have put links to all the items I created.  They were put into Angel, but once they were removed from Angel I no longer had the links.

Well I'm going to miss sitting on my couch night after night burning the midnight oil doing homework and my Tuesday night classes.  I consider myself fortunate to have part of a good team.  I especially enjoyed the strong work ethics of my team members.  Thanks teammates.  Best of luck to all of you in the future.  We are graduates!

CED0599 Week 2

This week was completing my project.  The project is designed for my students with special needs.  This project is based on a field trip to the planetarium and doing a scavenger hunt at a Wisconsin Visitor Center.  After doing the scavenger hunt, the students need to do research on a Wisconsin location of their choosing.  They will be creating a Wordle and Animoto to present the location they chose.  That will be their way of presenting their location.  Then they will be creating a Voicethread to create a presentation of the solar system.  After they have created the Wordle, Voicethread, and  Animoto these will be posted into a Google class site.

My students really enjoy the use of technology.  This is an area where I will continue to grow and my students will reap the benefits.

CED0599 Week 1

The end is quickly approaching.  This is the beginning of the last class of this graduate program.  For this week's class I need to create the timeline for my final project.  While it seems easy, I always find it a challenge to put times with various tasks.  I'm more of a doer and less of a time keeper.  I think that's true of a lot of people.  I also wasn't quite sure if I was making the timeline of MY hours for setting up the projects or my students time.

As I'm working on my work, I feel like I can't wait for this program to be over.  On the other hand, I feel like is it really coming to end?  Where has the time gone?  What will I do to fill up my Tuesday nights and ALL that time I spent on coursework?  Okay, I have plenty to do, but it will feel pleasantly odd for a little while.

CED0565 week 6

While this course was informative and just like any class you take away information, I wouldn't say this course has altered my definition of a leader or teacher leadership.  I feel a teachers' role is to educate students and with that comes various other responsibilities.  I've always seen teachers as managers, if you will.  Instead of working with profit and loss statements, we work with people.  We have budgets and need to work as efficiently as any other profession.  I've always viewed teachers as leaders, some better at it than others.  Teachers, hopefully, are involved in their school, district, and community.  We are constantly learning and integrating that new knowledge.  Just like any leader we need to listen and communicate, grow, and collaborate.  It is through this that we will improve education from within.  If we work as a team, changes will take place.  Teachers do need to make more of an effort to learn, grow, meet, and collaborate.  Unlike in other professions we aren't always given time during our "work day", so we need to make that time.  It's during that time that real changes happen, even though it can be challenging and difficult at times.  I wouldn't say that my leadership potential has changed.  I'm constantly trying new things, collaborate with my peers, and have joined various teams that I feel play a leadership role in our building.  I'm always look for ways to grow and to use that knowledge in my profession.

CED0565 Week 5

This week we finished the simulation.  While it was interesting, it would have been better if the material was there sooner to figure it out.  I wouldn't blindly walk into a meeting of this magnitude without being prepared.  If you did you would get what we did, trial and error (blindly) sometimes.  Change is always interesting, and many times the people involved in the changes are too.  The part that was missing for me was the "change" in the simulation.  What were we changing?  Depending on the change their are usually different "key" players.  Having worked in other professions and positions, I'm aware to some degree how changes take place.  Schools are different in some ways because the stakeholders are different, and their are a lot more of them.  Isn't that the part that we teachers like?

So am I leader?  I would say yes.  I've been fortunate, or unfortunate depending on how you look at it, to have held leadership positions.  Now as a teacher I feel I've brought that experience with me and I'm a leader in the classroom and technology.  A skill I've learned fairly well is to look outside the box at the broader picture.  I feel this isn't as common these days, especially in school settings.  So many times we are only focused on the here and now.  I been a leader in various capacities.  In my younger years I would have been a more subtle leader (quieter and more soft spoken.)  Today, I can be more vocal when I need to be and feel I need to be.  This helps in special education when I feel I need to advocate for the student or students.  So many times we think of teachers as leaders only in the classroom, but teachers are leaders in meetings, their school building, their school districts, and in the community.

CED0565 Week 4

This week in class we did the 1st year of a 3 year simulation.  The simulation is suppose to represent a school environment and various stakeholders.  The stakeholders also verified in their willingness to change and their ability to influence others.  It took a little while to get started, but my group worked rather well together.  If something didn't work we found another solution.  Having been in management before this is how change happens.  Things aren't going to go the way you always want, it means stepping back and revising when needed.  In a school environment we also need to keep everyone involved.  My group worked well together and did just that.

The other part of our coursework was thinking and discussing our work environments and the overall morale.  How do these things affect, if they do at all, the school environment?  Both are critical to the success of a school (or any environment). You can only be surrended by negativity for so long before it will affect you.  People need to feel they are part of the team through actions and not just words.  Once they do they will take more ownership in the environment and the overall morale.  I've worked in both positive and negative environments.  Morale is a direct correlation to the environment.  After awhile you don't want to be there and you certainly don't feel like going above and beyond.  If you do, others won't, leaving you to pick up the slack.  Students need to feel the positive energy to want to do their best too.