I hoped that, during this first course of my master's program, I would gain insight into the future of the American classroom and into what role I might play in bringing that future to students. I knew that even in a district as advantaged in as many ways as my own, that there is much to learn and much to do, and the course did not disappoint. In spending time examining the LRPT and the National Educational Technology Plan, I was reminded that technology as applications in all areas of the classroom: teaching, reinforcement, analysis, work product. I took an important first step by walking through some basic pieces of 21st century learning, including blogs, wikis, and multimedia presentations. Analysis of the STaR Chart data for my campus brought the realization that while we have excellent resources for integration of technology, we lack some of the practical skills and professional development to bring these resources to life in our learning and teaching. (Texas Education Agency, 2009) What I find frustrating is that many of the concerns cited by the STaR Chart data actually have solutions available within the district. This means that one of our primary hurdles as a district remains communication. During the past weeks I have learned much about Web 2.0 practices and the enormous potential they have to open doors and change the way we communicate with colleagues, parents, and students. However, I do wonder to what degree our district policies will restrict the techniques from this course that I hope to utilize with my own students and with other teachers on my campus. Determining that level of accessibility and relevance is an essential next step for me in my internship. Because the beginning of this course coincided with the end of our school year, I felt acutely the absence of feedback from members of my own campus; some of my activities could not be developed in completely authentic ways because I could not use them in real-time situations with students and campus colleagues. However, I accept these realities with equanimity; summer courses always present their own unique obstacles to be overcome. I will continue to develop the internship plan over the course of the summer; it is my hope that the plan is a living document that can evolve as I grow in my internship and as needs and opportunities arise in my district.
I have truly enjoyed the experience of returning to the role of student. I remember well the challenges that I experienced as a young college student: time management, organization, prioritization, balance. These challenges still exist; however, with age comes maturity, experience, and wisdom. I have realized that, while I have the vision for how technology can and should function in the classroom, my own classroom has a long path from reality to that vision. The discussion boards, blogs and wikis provide fascinating insights for me as a student, as an educator, and as a leader. Maybe most important of the insight from this foundations course is that although we do not all share the same vision, we do share a passion for the process. I am ideologically of the same world view as Marc Prensky, who speaks of an educational system that stubbornly refuses to see a reality that has changed fundamentally from the past. (Prensky, 2001) At the outset of this course, I would have expected that the vast majority of my peer group felt similarly. The discussions of the past few weeks have proven categorically, and with equal passion and articulation, that this is not the case. I look forward to watching how my views and those of my cohort group evolve during the course of this program.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more." (Shakespeare, 1598) Next stop - research.
Works Cited
Prensky, M. (2001, September/October). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon , pp. 1,3-6.
Shakespeare, W. (1598). Act III, Henry V. London.
Texas Education Agency. (2009). STar Chart Search Results Wilshire Elementary. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from StarChartESC12.net: http://starchart2.esc12.net/campusSearchlist.aspx?foryear=20082009&district=&campus=wilshire
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