For so many reasons, this song seems appropriate. I could have uploaded the original version, but some of the images in the video spoke to how I am feeling right now too, so I chose this video with images from the movie Cool Runnings.
Why is this an appropriate song? Because now that I've completed the most brutal course of my life, it will be a bright, sun-shiny day? Well, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that a part of me is going to be glad the class is over. No more staying up until 6 a.m. to finish a blog post. I can talk to my husband in the evenings. I can do some laundry (or not), cook a meal (or order in) or even read a book. So those are all bright sun-shiny reasons, but it's not really why I chose the song.
I've always found that the toughest teachers in my life were the teachers I learned the most from. They challenged me. Inspired me. Broadened my horizons. This course has been tough like that too. It has challenged me. Inspired me. And it has broadened my horizons.
Highlights
Can everything be a highlight? I loved this class. I loved my group discussions. I loved getting to know new people. I loved our Eluminate meetings. I loved learning about each of the new technologies. I particularly loved social bookmarking. I loved learning how to embed things. Before this class that seemed so technological to me! I loved learning how to create wikis and blogs on my own. I loved that I learned how to do a voice thread, a podcast and an Animoto movie. I really loved it all. I think I feel this way because I really LEARNED something each and every week. It was practical. I was putting things I learned in this class one week into practice in my job the next week. I am doing a literature unit with a teacher and we're going to use voicethread. I am doing some lessons with another teacher using Animoto in place of book talks for one unit. I am teaching a teacher about wikis (he's not quite getting it yet, but I think we'll get there). I just purchased three flip cameras for my library, so I can do some movie making with students. It's exciting and purposeful and makes my staff think I'm super techie and smart (sure have them fooled). I'm already more involved with more teachers than I was before because I have more to offer them!
Lowlights
Not reallly many lowlights. I found that I was putting in over 20 hours per week, and I found that quite unmanageable at times. I also found it difficult to have the discussion and blog due on the same day. But I couldn't say cut out the blog because that's integral, and I couldn't say cut out the discussion because that's how we developed such a supportive relationship with our classmates. But I could say maybe look at due dates and try to stagger things.
Where do I go from here?
Good question. The great thing about this class was that I had a road map and an itinerary. Now, I am free to travel the Web 2.0 world on my own. But no road map, so how will I navigate?
One of the first things I want to do is to increase my abilities and comfort level with some of the tools I have already learned about in this class. The first two tools I am practicing with already are Animoto and Voice Thread. These tools are relatively simple, and I am using them over the next two weeks. I anticipate that once some of the projects are completed and shared with staff at a meeting along with a few ideas for how teachers could use these tools in Science, History, Art and other subjects, there will be even more opportunities to practice.
In the new year, I will be working with a senior History teacher on teaching students how to do research for their essays. I have not spoken to this teacher about social bookmarking yet, but that is my plan. I think for this particular teacher, who is very tech-shy, I will have to do a lot of preparation. I found some tutorials at EdTechTalk, and I want to explore them more. As well, I discovered a site called Designing and implementing e-learning. It has great information about integrating social bookmarking into classrooms. I know it will be very important for me to be able to explain social bookmarking, how it works and how we can use it with students succinctly and completely. Sometimes when I am trying to explain things, I am not clear or I am not to the point and people get tired of listening or just totally confused. Social bookmarking is not really difficult, but it is multi-layered. I used it and became excited about it after seeing the practical applications and the possibilites. This teacher needs to get excited about it from my pitch alone.
Why social bookmarking? We know the many skills and tools students need to be successful in the 21st century. Social bookmarking is not only a tool to help students find information, but to use it purposefully, the students will, as noted on Designing and implementing e-learning, develop collaboration skills, planning and organizing skills as well as the effective use of technology.
Teacher-librarians have always played an important role in helping students develop information literacy and research skills. Teacher-librarians would be able to organize resources, share sites, lessons and articles with others, and help create pathfinders and bibliographies. The opportunities for teaching critical and creative thinking and developing skills make this tool a worthy one for teachers and students. Social bookmarking can be an effective research tool and teachers have an opportunity to teach students a lot about information literacy depending on the varyious ways teachers use it with students. I see a great deal of value in teaching students to use it as a search tool, to read for key ideas that can be used for tags, and to collaborate with others. Teachers can use it to work with other teachers or find other teachers who are knowledgeable in an area in which they are interested. These are just a few ideas. I found many more ideas as well as links to helpful sites to learn more on the wiki WebTools4u2use.
I don't know if I would have learned as much about social bookmarking and its value had it not been for my classmate Laurie. She set up a Diigo site for our group and suggested how we might use it. She was the strongest poster and her research helpeld me out many times. I am very grateful for Laurie and for getting this set up. We did not do as much commenting and discussing on the articles as I think we had all thought we might, but we sure made the best use of sharing information.
I learned a lot from each of my classmates in our discussions. Joseph always had these really deep, knowledgeable, thoughtful responses. I think he was the most academic of us. He also would post specific links to help us answer our inquiry questions. Cindy, Tracey and Laurie always had thoughtful responses and were open to discussing their trials and triumphs. They each had a distinctive style on their blogs and because they had a slightly different take on things than I did, I learned a lot from them. Cindy teachers in the primary end, so her perspective on the most valuable tools was different because of the age of her students. I found that very interesting in our discussions. Tracey works in a public library which is what I want to do when I retire from the school library. I liked hearing about how she was using or planning to use the tools with the public. I especially liked hearing about her ideas with senior citizens.
And so why did I pick that song really? Because I feel like I see technology more clearly now. I feel like I am clearer about how to use it and what it can do. I feel confident and comfortable when I use it - it's sun-shiny, not cloudy and raining and frustrating! EDES 501 has been an incredibly positive experience. I have learned a lot. I have made great connections with people. I wish I could have had even more time to work on the things I learned, but because they are so practical, engaging, and important, I will continue to learn. I have overcome a lot of my own computer inhibitions during this course. I am much more comfortable going beyond e-mail. I am more comfortable reading online, writing online and researching online. I am looking forward to the sessions on the K-12 Online Conference. I follow a number of the technology and teacher-librarian gurus, so I know I will hear about new ideas sooner than I would have before. I am much more aware, and I know where to go to find current information. I am much more technologically literate, and some of my views have changed. I look at Wikipedia differently. I look at technology much more positively. For sure, a life changing experience!
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