Looking back...

This semester has been one of tremendous growth for me.  I came into EDU 701 feeling clueless and behind the times with technology.  Now that I have completed the course, I can say that I feel proud of my technology prowess.  In beginning this blog, I have taken a step toward being in a classroom and keeping a blog for my class.  I have blogged about what I've learned, and as a result, I have a way of ensuring I remember it all!  This place will always be here to reference.

My first "content" post on 21st century skills, NETS, and Tpack, I wrote an eternity ago; or though it seems.  Really that was just last month.  As I wrote the post, I remember having to switch screens often to read about what I was writing about- now I know that information like the back of my hand.  What a difference a month of practice and integration can make.  NETS has surfaced in both our class IWB lesson projects and the Flat Classroom project. Knowing how to put into action these ideas and guidelines has helped me understand how I will design my classroom and lessons.

Voicethread.com and Feedly were other topics I chose to write about.  While I'm not sure that either of those will carry over into my future classroom, I know that Feedly has been great for personal use!  It's nice to sign in and get a stream of both fun reads and heavier material in one place.

I posted about infographics and Edudemic a few weeks ago, and since then, I have used Edudemic to find infographics for school projects and for my portfolio website.  As a resource, it is among the best I've come across.  Infographics are such a cool way to present information.  My knowledge of the Web 2.0 tools out there used to design these clever little posters has grown tremendously since the beginning of the semester.  I went from not even recognizing the term to making several of my own.  I think infographics will play a role in my classroom, whether to organize thoughts to post around the room or for students to present their own work to me.    

My favorite part of the semester was the Flipped Classroom presentation.  That was also the blog post I most enjoyed writing.  What a fantastic way to teach.  Katie Gimbar's delivery of the information may be what sold me.  She was so enthusiastic and seemed genuinely happy in her classroom- something I certainly hope for!  It is my plan to teach kindergarten or first grade so I'm interested to see if integrating some flipped ideas into that environment could work.

I hope that this blog has been fun for others to read.  I have had a good time writing it and funneling all of my new knowledge into something of my own creation.  Power Tools for Educators delivered.  I feel quite comfortable with all of the technology resources covered in the course and I can actually see myself using them, which is a feeling that puts me at ease when I think of being a teacher!  All of my coursework at Meredith has been valuable, but this course has been the most helpful in actual lesson and project ideas for my classroom (maybe a flipped classroom!).