Somehow, the summer semester has come to an end. At times, it seemed like things would never slow down, but I genuinely enjoyed this class! I learned so much that I know I will be able to take to my own classroom and I am very grateful for that. My coworkers have seen some of the projects I worked on and were very eager for me to show them how they can use these tools in their classrooms as well. I’ve enjoyed being able to use what I’ve learned in real time.
I’d like to start with my biggest takeaways from this course. The first is don’t be afraid to try new things and leave your comfort zone. I like to think of myself as sort of tech savvy, but taking this class has certainly raised me up a step or two. I was constantly pushed to figure out something new/semi-new. Despite my cool and calm demeanor, I freaked out over quite a few assignments. I never expected to test my personal limits so much (especially in the summer). The next takeaway is that there is always something new to be learned. You can’t think just because you’re familiar with a program that you know all there is to it. With frequent updates and additions, it’s very important to be willing to continue your learning. There were quite a few assignments that I went into thinking they would be a breeze because I had heard of what we were working on or seen a friend use it in their classroom. I quickly had to humble myself and realize that I don’t know it all, not even close. Seeing a friend use SeeSaw in their classroom doesn’t make you an expert and it doesn’t mean you can download the app and perfectly integrate it with your instruction overnight. When it comes to educational technology, your learning is constant. It honestly may never end because there will always be something new. I even encountered some apps that I either thought I knew how to use or had a ‘training’ on how they work. I probably learned more in those weeks because I had to force myself to find out as much as I could so that I would be prepared to complete my assignment. If you can’t stay willing to continue learning, you will never be able to grow in your profession. You can’t expect different results when you are doing the same things you’ve always done. Now is the time to figure it out what works for you and how you can incorporate it into your teaching. My final takeaway is time management is key. Each of the technologies I learned about were very fun/cool/innovative/engaging and so on, but some of these programs take serious time to figure out. It’s unrealistic to think I would master them all, but some really threw me for a loop at times. And some were honestly just more time consuming than I anticipated (I’m looking at you video editing). I’m only okay at time management; it has never been my strongest skill. This class forced me to reassess how I plan and allot time for tasks. This carries over into my professional life as well. As I prepare for my students to come back, I’ve already found myself planning in a way that I typically wouldn’t have before. One of my personal goals for the year is to stick to the schedule I create and waste less time.
I honestly can say my favorite assignment was the video editing project. I say this was my favorite because I think it was one of the most fun projects and certainly the most challenging for me. I had never included B-roll in a video and really wasn’t sure what it even was. I had to figure that part out first. I recorded all of my clips, gathered some photos, found some royalty free music, and then stared at my computer for a couple of days because I didn’t know what to do next. Figuring out how to edit was very challenging in my favorite way. It pushed me to try something new and learn how to use it. I think I can see myself eventually using video creation in my classroom.
There are so so so many technologies I plan to incorporate into my class after taking this course, but I will narrow it down to a few. The first is using audio recordings. I created an audio file of step by step instructions for students to use in a center station. This is something I never would’ve done or even thought of before this course. I know it will make my life easier because I will not have to stop what I am doing to explain directions to students. The next is using Google Sites to create a classroom website to keep parents up to date with what is going on in my classroom. I’ve used lots of different things in the past, but this is something I’m seriously considering for the upcoming year. Finally, I plan to use the AVL to find resources because I had no idea of the possibilities! Now that I know all that I know, I believe I can use these tools to have a great year and many more to come.
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