Reflection

Looking back...

As this course draws to a close, I look back at my own growth and development during the past eight weeks. When this course began, I knew I would get something from it, and was eager to see what this course had for me. Of course, once again, I was pleasantly surprised at just what I did gain from the weekly lessons. During the beginnings of this class, I thought I would find myself looking for ways to discuss things that I already do with technology in my class. It didn’t take long to see that I would do so much more than that. The development of the Content Are Unit Plan was so beneficial to me, providing me with knowledge and tools I will be using practically right away in my own classroom. Yet, the greatest learning for me came from the development of my GAME plan. Though I griped and grumbled to myself when I first read what we were assigned to do, I have to admit now that it was a great learning experience for me.



I can honestly say I believe I grew as a teacher developing my GAME plan. I set a goal for myself to develop an online location for discussion assignments for my students. While I have had my students writing responses to literature and other assignments, I have not had them doing so with technology nor have I had them doing any discussion amongst each other in the written form. I realize that I need to have my students communicating with each other in methods they will encounter in the technological society they will soon enter (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). My second goal I set for myself was to develop assignments in which I have my students create products that utilize Web 2.0 technologies and not just complete the same old paper and pencil work we’ve always assigned. As I developed this GAME plan, I did learn some things. First, I learned the real GAME plan process. Prior to this experience, I was always concerned about making plans for my students, never a GAME plan for me as the teacher. I have learned the importance of looking ahead at where exactly I want to go with my students and how I am going to get them there. I also learned that I don’t have to go out and find new tools to do some of these things I dream of doing with my students in the “ideal” world. I have learned that I can actually develop ways to do these things with the web site I already have going with my classes. I also learned to do more frequent evaluation and assessment of my own progress and goals. Because of some setbacks along the way with these goals, I had to do some evaluating and make some changes to my goals or at least my strategies. Turns out this took me to some new areas and caused me to develop some better things for my students.


During this course, I have come across some great new technological resources. I have learned form my colleagues about such sites as schoology.com, which I am still hoping to develop and use for my students. I have also learned about Ning. I am currently working with the principal over my department to help clear access to Ning so I can have my students use it. As for immediate adjustments, I am totally redesigning my current website to begin having my students turn in work electronically this next semester. I am also rewriting my syllabus with this in mind, so that when I get my new students January 4th, they will all know where I am going with this from the beginning. Another change is the incorporation of the lessons I developed during this course. I am actually going to change some of my assignments out that I have traditionally done with this next semester for ones I developed during this course. I also am very proud to say that from my constant comments and discussions I have made with my department and department’s principal, she has come to me with a proposal to look into and develop a network for our English classes with PD360.com. I am so thankful my experiences in this class are taking me to this point of bettering my teaching, my classroom lessons and assignments, and being a part of the leadership for my department and district.